Book Description

Lisa Alexander, formerly Regional Recruiter with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is currently Executive Director with LA Consulting. Lisa has authored PharmRepSelect a comprehansive guide to Getting a Job in Pharmaceutical Sales. The author covers the industry from A to Z with insightful, easy to read and practical information that will help you focus your approach and secure employment as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative. By reading PharmRepSelect you will learn the essential steps to get the interview and secure the job offer with the company that fits your needs. Lisa shares her years of experience and wisdom. You will learn the selection process from theHiring Manager's perspective. PharmRepSelect is an anecodotal and informational guide that is essential for anyone entering and considering a career in this field. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

This Book Simply Lands Jobs!
Great book gives you all the insider information that you need to get the job of your dreams. I am in the final interview process with the regional manager and couldn't be happier. I loved the book and used all of the knowledge from it to get by my first 5 interviews with a breeze. Great book, low price, can't beat it. Thanks Lisa for all the help!

Great Book & Even Greater Service
Prior to reading this book I felt I had a very good idea of what landing a pharmaceutical job would take. After reading the book I quickly realized that I may have been giving myself a bit too much credit. The Manger Surveys, sample interview questions, brag book suggestions, and follow-up chapters are the one's I found most informative. This book definitely taught me techniques that will help me stand out from the crowd both before and after securing an interview.

The service provided by Lisa Alexander and her staff have also been excellent. I have e-mailed Lisa and her staff approximately four times since completing the book and have received a reply within 24 hours every time. The questions she has answered and tips she has offered me via e-mail alone are worth the $29.95 I paid for the book.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone that is serious about entering the Pharmaceutical Sales Industry.

Excellent Book & Even Better Service
Prior to reading this book I felt I had a very good idea of what landing a pharmaceutical job would take. After reading the book I quickly realized that I may have been giving myself a bit too much credit. The Manger Surveys, sample interview questions, brag book suggestions, and follow-up chapters are the one's I found most informative. This book definitely taught me techniques that will help me stand out from the crowd both before and after securing an interview.

The service provided by Lisa Alexander and her staff have also been excellent. I have e-mailed Lisa and her staff approximately four times since completing the book and have received a reply within 24 hours every time. The questions she has answered and tips she has offered me via e-mail alone are worth the $29.95 I paid for the book.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone that is serious about entering the Pharmaceutical Sales Industry.

Most comprehensive and encouraging resource you will find
After too many job rejections, I was about to give up- PharmRepSelect was recommended to me by the Manager that interviewed me but did not offer me the job- He knew it would help my interview performance. It did , every page is filled with practical, sound usable advice. The examples and stories are so clear that I was able to immediately see what I could do better on my next interview. I am now in the industry and recommend this book to anyone that is discouraged. PharmRepSelect will keep you from giving up and increase your chances tenfold of getting the job offer.

no help at all
This book won't help you much at all. There's nothing in here you won't find in some of the other books that have much more to offer. I also bought the cd, it sounds like something a high school speech class put together.
When you buy the book and cd together, you're supposed to be able to e-mail questions to the author directly. I tried that and never heard back from her even once. ... Read more

Book Description

The all new 4th edition of Post Office Jobs, includes a new 473 and 473-C Postal Exam study guide and provides all the information needed to locate job vacancies, prepare for exams, and explore all jobs including those that don't require entrance tests. This updated edition covers all occupations from janitors, general maintenance and technicians to truck drivers, mail carriers, clerks, administrative, and clerical positions. Having worked for 35½ years for Uncle Sam, the author provides an insider's perspective on what it takes to go from job hunter to hired, and everything in between.

The Postal Service started screening applicants with the new 473 Major Entry-Level Jobs Exam in December of 2004. This new exam screens applicants on job-related characteristics and it permits them to compete for job vacancies. Included in this new edition is a comprehensive study guide along with helpful test-taking strategies to improve test scores.

Those considering a job with the Postal Service will find Damp’s book filled with useful and up-to-date information. This is the only Postal Service career guide that includes related civil service job options, provides online updates, prepares the reader for interviews, and covers ALL occupations from professional and administrative to mail carrier, maintenance, and clerical.

Post Office Jobs helps job seekers:

1) Identify ALL vacancies.
2) Match your skills to postal jobs.
3) Locate postal exam test dates.
4) Study for the 473 Postal exam
5) Complete job applications.
6) Prepare for job interviews.
7) Apply for jobs that don’t require exams.
8) Explore viable civil service job options.

The revised 4th edition of Post Office Jobs includes a new and comprehensive 473 study guide, contact information, current addresses and phone numbers for the 80 hiring Postal Districts, on-line Internet connections and addresses, new pay scales, web sites that offer employment guidance and toll-free postal service employment hotlines. This expanded edition also includes chapters on Postal Inspector jobs and Civil Service related occupations plus an Appendix on how to find lucrative corporate jobs with the Postal Service that don’t require entrance exams.

In today’s uncertain times, seek out secure and high paying Post Office jobs and related Civil Service opportunities with this indispensable book. ... Read more

Book Description

How to Create the Perfect Eyebrow is the definitive and ultimate guide to making any pair of eyebrows beautiful, symmetrical and model-like. The author draws on years of experience as a makeup artist, image consultant and creator of her own line of eyebrow enhancement products to teach beauty professionals and future beauty professionals eyebrow techniques for perfecting their craft. The reader will learn all critical evaluation techniques, from analyzing facial zones, shapes and features to measuring, recording and drawing activities in order to achieve the perfect set of eyebrows. Client satisfaction and profits will rise when the beauty professional relies on this book to become an eyebrow expert. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

The FBI website doesn't even come close!
If you visit the FBI website you'll find only basic and carefully screened information. No surprise there. Although the internet and Ackerman's book both list requirements for the special agent position and other jobs (even though Ackerman's book has more), this is where the similarities end. For example, the FBI will never suggest ways to best describe your educational achievements, employment history, volunteer work, accomplishments, or other aspects of your background on the FD-140 application form or in KSA statements. Ackerman does, and if you've applied for an FBI job you know this can make or break your application because it's the first step in the screening process. The FBI also doesn't tell you how to prepare for and respond to specific types of questions you'll be asked during the structured interview. No surprise there, either. I can tell you from firsthand experience that Ackerman's characterization of the interviewing process is right on the money, and the same can be said for his guidance on the written exams. His description of the background investigation process, including the areas of emphasis that detrmine whether a security clearance is granted, is another example (of many) that you will not find on the FBI website. If basic and carefully screened information is all you need, stick with the internet and you'll be fine. If you want more than public relations material, this book is for you.

A MUST for anyone considering a career with the FBI
This book has been an EXCELLENT resource as I progress through the FBI hiring process. Having read the book beforehand, I knew the answers to 90% of the questions that candidates asked while attending Phase I testing at the local field office.

Here's what I like about this book:

-It provides details for both special agent and professional support positions. It covers the hiring process in detail, tips and strategies to maximize your chances, 10 pages of salary and benefits information, an overview of the training process, and information on sub-specialties in each area.

-The book is well-organized, so I can use it as a handy reference to get answers to my questions quickly and easily as they arise, because you will never remember it all on the first read.

-The Special Agent Application and Selection Process flowchart demystifies this confusing and complicated process.

-In contrast to earlier reviews, I think the copies of the application forms in the appendices do serve a purpose in that they give potential applicants a sense of the time and effort that is required to complete the application process. You will need commitment!!

What I hope to see in the next edition:

-More information about testing that occurs between Phase I and Phase II for some candidates who possess "critical skills," such as foreign language skills.

-A list of places to look, both online and offline, for more information.

In short, I enthusiastically recommend Special Agent Ackerman's book. It is a rich source of data for people who are simply curious about whether or not the FBI is right for them, as well as for those who are actively passing through the hiring process.

-Justin L., Phoenix, AZ

FBI application should question: Have you read this book?
Definitely more than what can be found on the net. Great way to prepare for FBI careers.

Phenomenal book
I cannot imagine attempting to land a job with the FBI without reading Ackerman's phenomenal book first. Even though I thought I knew what to expect and how things worked, it turns out I was completely in the dark. Not any more.

Best out there, bar none.
The material in this book is highly informative, right to the point, and the advice is very helpful. It provides comprehensive all-encompassing coverage of the application phases from the initial application up to and including the background investigation and security clearance interview. Careers with the FBI also are covered extensively, including the qualifications, training, and assignments. Bottom line, if you are truly committed to a career with the FBI, this is the book that will get you there. It is absolutely the best book on the subject. ... Read more

Book Description

Aimed at seasoned actors as well as vocal talents who lack show-biz experience, this career manual offers the most complete guide to a lucrative field.

Voices are increasingly in demand for commercials, cartoon characters, announcements, and other voice-over spots. This outstanding handbook explains how to launch a career and find work. Along with sample commercials and script copy, the author gives advice on vocal exercises, on self-promotion, and on business matters, and this expanded edition includes new tips on making a demo CD; vocal modulation and breath techniques; advanced copy-reading techniques; and a section on how copywriters see the job of the voice artists they write for. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A great book for novices and journeymen alike
I first read this book a couple of years ago when I was just toying with the idea of making VO a career. It is a bible for aspiring talents and established pros will also learn plenty as Elaine is a renowned casting director and producer as well as a successful talent.

It is an easy read but the exercises are anything but easy. The sample scripts are fabulous and the vocal warm-ups are helpful and something that all other books on VO are lacking. The marketing chapters are also well written and leave one with no illusion about talent alone being enough to make it in this highly competitive field. That's what makes this the best book on VO that I've read. It has everything. Did I say it had everything? Let's amend that - I'd like to see a chapter on equipment and technology though with the pace of change these days, it would probably be out of date before its printed.

If you have been thinking about a career in voice over, you are not serious if you don't buy this book.

Theres' Money where your Mouth Is
I've read the book and taken Elaine's classes. She is one of the top people in the field and got me started living the life I love, doing Voice Over's.

Great simple tips with easy to understand samples and techniques that push you in the right direction. The message of the title speaks to that if you try hard and study the book you can ultimately make it! When I win my awards she will be one of the people I thank!

A gem of a book!
A fabulous introduction to the art and business of voice-overs. As one of her students, I can say this: Elaine knows what she's talking about. She'll show you the techniques you need in the business and even provide a wide variety of "copy" to practice your skills.

I'll let the book speak for itself. Pick up a copy. Read it. Study it.

And don't forget to practice.

Buy it, read it, APPLY IT and you'll do it!
Whooaaaa! What a SOLID book! Don't let the fact that it's a paperback fool you. In some 204 pages Elaine Clark, a voice-over performer, casting director and coach, covers all bases -- and there is no padding. It's solid, useful, info that can be applied immediately. And if you read the book and follow her advice I suspect it'll shave YEARS off the typical hit-and-miss process that most of us (including me) go through in entertainment (I'm a ventriloquist, a lower form of voice life). There are many books on virtually every aspect of show biz and we're seeing more on voice-overs, an increasingly lucrative industry due to the explosion in cartoons, commercials, etc. Clark takes you through voice techniques, getting started, copy basics, looking for an agent and The Absolutely Crucial Step: doing a demo (just as most mere mortals are judged by how they present themselves on paper, entertainers are judged by what they choose to present in their demos). It even includes a section on staying on top. Nothing is left out; the writing style is to-the-point...no cutesy stuff that attempts to mask weak content. Each page is tightly-packed with detailed information. It's as if she is having her own private session with you -- and, actually, she is -- except it costs a lot less in book form. Need THE BOOK on voice-overs? This is IT.

Awesome
I have about 8 different books on this subject, my background is radio broadcasting, Elaine help me to deprogram myself and do real acting, that's what voiceovers are about. I just purchased her video offered in the book and I started back reading the material and practicing everyday. I have taken voiceover seminars, and I find it is a highly recommended text. She also gives you practical tools about setting up an audition tape, and how to interpet copy. The best! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

maybe good for MBA
The book might be good for someone with MBA as a general review but definitelly not for someone preparing for quant job/interview.

For that purpose "Heard on the Street: Quantitative Questions from Wall Street Job Interviews" is at least 100 times better.

Everything you learned in your MBA but forgot!
This book is a great review for anyone who has taken finance courses yet may not have retained as much as they would like. I picked up this book after graduating from an MBA program, and found myself saying, "oh yeah, I forgot about that" on many occasions. Overall, it's a keeper that has earned a spot on my professional bookshelf.

Excellent, Broad review for Quant Interviews
If you're preparing for an interview for a job as a "quant," FI/MBS/options trader, or risk manager, then this book is a great review of the subject matter. The chapters review bond math, statistics, derivatives, fixed income, equities, currencies, and risk management. The book focuses exclusively on finance, and not on the structure of the financial industry, typical jobs, or interview skills. However, this isn't a drawback -- there are other Vault guides that cover these areas.

Overall, the book is certainly more technical & mathematical than most interview guides (except perhaps for "Heard on the Street" by Tim Crack at MIT), so be prepared to review the Black-Scholes partial differential equation. Despite the complexity of the subject matter, the author's explanations make the material accessible, and her explanations were pithy, clear, and often accompanied by helpful diagrams. My only complaints are that (1) the book doesn't include any review of accounting, which does come up in finance occasionally, and (2) there are just a few mistakes (but not too many). Overall, I found this book to be well worth the time & money I invested in it.

excellent preparation
an excellent preparation for advanced finance and quantitative interviews. covers a wide range of topics incl. fixed income, equities, statistics and risk management. starting with the very basics until pretty advanced (esp. in derivatives). a good prior knowledge of many subjects is needed, however, since many topcis are with no/little explanation. very readable with good questions (incl. answers). one might have added some quantitative and non-quantitative questions asked in investment banking interviews, but that's just a detail. Excellent book!! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Invaluable resource for all artists.
This book demystifies the way the art world works. It provides all the tools and info needed to build a career exhibiting and selling art. Great practical advice served up with humor and encouragement.

Inspiration!
After being in a creative slump for about a year this is the book that inspired me to pick up my brushes again! I had these horrible thoughts of how difficult it would be to even attempt to make it as an artist but "Taking the Leap" eased my mind. It takes you step by step through everything you need to know and what you need to have ready to start your career. I learned how to properly photograph my art (I can't afford a photographer!) and how to set up my portfolio. There are also inspiring quotes from artists or pertaining to art to help get you through. I credit this book for getting me back out there!

Good sense, good business
Thanks to Cay Lang, I am now selling my artwork in the triple digits. As she states in the beginning of her book,
artists would rather be making art than doing business.
This book helps you do both without sapping your creative juices. A new perspective, a simple remedy.

Cay Lang, thank you for this program ... and the book!
This is a fantastic book that outlines what you need to do to set up and follow through as a visual artist. Every chapter is like a checklist. You can always use it as reference material later, but the book is great whether you read it for the 1st time or 51st time. Bravo, Cay Lang!

In the beginning
Building a career as a visual artist can be a long tedious journey. This book gave encouragement and good advise. There are plenty of example forms for introducing, consigning, and selling art. The majority of the book focusses on a gallery setting and is a bit outdated for information on internet possibilities. I found the most helpful sections to be those dealing with what questions an artist should be asking and the appendix. ... Read more

Book Description

Workplace violence may snatch the daily headlines, but outside the spotlight, the pain and degradation of corporate bullying shatters lives nationwide. A landmark book blazing light on one of the business world's dirtiest secrets, The Bully at Work exposes the destructive, silent epidemic that devastates the lives, careers and families of millions.Those being bullied at work feel more than merely overworked and underappreciated. The fear, shame, humiliation and loss of dignity that originate at work can creep into every other aspect of their lives. Bullying is about Work Trauma! At last, there is a way to stop the hurtand stop the bully.Gary and Ruth Namie, pioneers of the Campaign Against Workplace Bullying (bullybusters.org), teach you personal strategies to identify allies, build your confidence, and stand up to your tormentor--or decide when to walk away with your sanity and dignity intact.The Namies' expertise on workplace bullying has been featured in such media outlets as CNN, PBS, NPR, USA Today and The Washington Post. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Thank You SO MUCH, Drs. Namies!!!
I admit I did not buy this book from Amazon.com. I actually bought mine in a book store. But what a buy this was!!! I was subjected to bully-tactics as well while working at "a famous name brand," and I thought it was all my fault. After I found this book and read it thoroughly, I knew it was not my fault but was the work of a bully. I was his Target, and it nearly cost me my marriage and sanity! It did help lead me to a new company and a better job, so not much for me to complain about there. But as this book repeatedly says, there is no reason, NO REASON WHAT SO EVER, for any person to go through bullying at work. If you are in a tough situation at your job (where ever it is and what ever you are doing), you may want to look this book over. I am not saying that this book will point out EVERY ONE's problem, but it may help to answer some questions about what is happening to you and your career. If you do buy it and it does not apply to you, keep it 'cause I bet you will have a friend/spouse/co-worker who will need this book..................

[company] employees need this book
God bless the Namies for writing this book. It gave a name to the evil I was subjected to at [job], and it helped me get out of the role of victim. Naming an evil goes a long way towards defeating it. This book will help you do that. I no longer beat myself up. Best of all, I am prepared if I ever find myself in a bully's crosshairs again. The Namies book taught me how to keep bullies from getting inside my head. It is like an innoculation against workplace abuse. As I write this, the country is still coming out of a recession. Companies don't like to pay severance packages or unemployment packages when they let people go, and they will do anything to keep from doing it, no matter how wrong it is. If they have to turn sociopaths loose on innocent employees to run them off without collecting a package, then that's what they will do. That's what [job] did to me after 14 years of (undeserved) loyalty. Believe me; this book helps heal the psychiatric injuries bullies inflict, and it will "bully-proof" you against future attacks. Get this book! It's well worth the price.

Informative as well as therapeutic!
For those of us who have suffered the consequences in our career, our pocket books, our health, our marriages and personal lives at the hands and mind games of a Bully at Work, this book is an important "must read". This book helps to clarify the chaos and lead the reader to understand the perpetrator, those that support and nurture the perpetrator, and most importantly the innocent victim, the Target. I am a 55 year old professional, a physician, with years of education. I fell victim to a real "Bully", and suffered the consequences. I realized the Bully was rude and obnoxious, and taking a toll on my life, and my patients. I did not understand the pyschology and sociology until it was too late. Now I am using the information to relieve the pain, and yes, to finally take some action! Help yourself, and those who you love, and who love you. This book is the easiest to read, to understand, and to help you to recover and to take action. The price is right. Get it, and get on with it!

Excellent, Relevant and Recent
This book, last published in 2003 as of this writing, is excellent for anyone who is the target of a workplace bully, whether that bully is a boss or a coworker. The authors describe what workplace bullying is and the avenues that can be taken to deal with the bully. If confrontation is desired, the risks are detailed as well as what one may expect along the way. The bully's weaknesses and core character flaws are described as well as how to use those to your advantage. Current laws and bills are discussed. Advice is given regarding documentation. Possible legal avenues are discussed.

I highly recommend this book and see it as a useful resource for targets of bullies, attorneys, and psychologists, as well as a must-have addition to every HR director's library.

BULLIES - FAMILY / WORKPLACE / SCHOOL / NEIGHBORHOOD
Excellent compliments to this book are: Emotional Blackmail: When People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation and Guilt to Manipulate You by Susan Forward and Donna Frazier; Why Is It Always About You?: The Seven Deadly Sins of Narcissism by Sandy Hotchkiss and James Masterson; The Angry Heart: Overcoming Borderline and Addictive Disorders by Joseph Santoro and Ronald Cohen; The Narcissistic Family: Diagnosis and Treatment by Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman and Robert Pressman; Understanding the Borderline Mother: Helping Her Children Transcend the Intense, Unpredictable and Volatile Relationship by Christine Ann Lawson; Living with the Passive-Aggressive Man by Scott Wetzler; Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited by Sam Vaknin and Lidija Rangelovska (Editor); Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-Up's Guide to Getting Over Narcissistic Parents by Nina Brown; Treating Attachment Disorders: From Theory to Therapy by Karl Heinz Brisch and Kenneth Kronenberg; Toxic Coworkers: How to Deal with Dysfunctional People on the Job by Alan Cavaiola and Neil Lavender; Bully in Sight: How to Predict, Resist, Challenge and Combat Workplace Bullies by Tim Field.

And if you want to pursue the subject even further, you may be interested in reading The Narcissistic / Borderline Couple: A Psychoanalytic Perspective On Marital Treatment; Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility by Jim Fay and Foster Cline. ... Read more

Book Description

The definitive work on avoiding burnout, written by the psychologist who is the leading specialist on the issue. An illuminating and useful book for anyone coping with the pressures of work.

In Reclaiming the Fire, Dr. Steven Berglas analyzes the rises and falls of corporate executives, middle managers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and others as they struggle to handle the trappings of successful careers. How does one deal with encore anxiety, the monotony of having to use talents that are no longer psychologically rewarding? Why is it that our national obsession with wealth traps people in careers that often lead them to wonder, "Is that all there is?" And why do highly successful people often set themselves up for disastrous falls?

Dr. Berglas answers all these questions and many more in this groundbreaking book by discussing real people whose careers have left them feeling pressured, burdened, and jaded.

In his most progressive and striking contribution to the literature on career success, Dr. Berglas debunks the persistent myth that women suffer more stress and burnout than men. He disproves the common claim that women involved both in careers and in family life suffer from trying to have it all, and he demonstrates how the drive to form close interpersonal ties a drive that is intrinsic to women can actually prevent both men and women from experiencing burnout. In a related analysis of the mentoring process, Dr. Berglas shows why it is more important for careerists to build legacies for future generations (a process he terms generativity) than to become obsessed with their own personal success. He proves that the process not only benefits the student but provides the mentor with psychological satisfaction and even improved physical health.

Reclaiming the Fire uses the working world not the psychiatric couch as a venue for understanding the psychological and emotional burdens of success. It is the first comprehensive account of how to balance self-esteem and ambition while maintaining challenge and stimulation throughout your career.


Reclaiming the Fire provides insight into:

*Why baby boomers are currently suffering an epidemic of career dissatisfaction

*Why women are uniquely suited to cope with the pressures that cause men to suffer burnout, and what men can learn from them

*How to escape golden handcuffs: the workaholic devotion to a job that is no longer emotionally satisfying

*How to cope with anger that threatens to sabotage your career

*How all professionals can identify the passions that will allow them to sustain and enjoy success throughout their lives
... Read more

Reviews (9)

An exceptional read - insightful, clear, and well-written
Dr. Berglas has written an exceptional book that I would recommend to those who are facing workplace issues such as burnout and "Isn't there more than this?" questioning. While I believe his research is relevant for all audiences - I would highly recommend it for people in large corporate settings - as well as those in supervisory roles. Personally, I picked up the book hoping to find some answers regarding the "dead ends" and the boredom I was starting to feel at my corporate job - and I found Dr. Berglas' book to be insightful and solutions-oriented for people like me... While the book is well-researched and deals with complex issues, it is clear and concise and should be easily understandable for all audiences to grasp... If this book is calling out to you for some reason, I highly recommend you read it.

Excellent contents - Not easy to apply
This book deals with the phenomenon of people who have or have had extraordinary succesful careers and nevertheless found themselves to be extremely unhappy - partially up to the point of self-destruction. This also defines the audience for this book: the people described above or those who take a keen interest in such people.

The book has been written by an adjunct faculty member at Harvard Medical school. The academic level is - as far as I can judge - impeccable. The author quotes on many occasions from actual patient-cases which are common enough that many a reader will recognize some of his or her own headaches. One notices that an effort has been made to write a book that is accessible to the general public. However, the book does maintain a certain academic tone that will be off-putting to some people. There are no exercises, questionaires, or the like that would involve the reader a bit more with the subject matter.

Whoever thinks that reading this book and applying a few quick-fix exercises here and mental readjustments there is going to enable them to continue like before, just happier, is extremely mistaken. Dr. Berglas points out that a lot of the misery discussed is a direct result of some deeply engrained characteristics of our culture. For most people, following up on Dr. Berglas' suggestions will imply a drastic (but doable) change in lifestyle.

Being somewhat of an academic myself with a keen interest in psychological issues, I found the book extremely valuable. The value to you depends on how you personally feel about the above. However, my advice: if in doubt, buy it!

The Revenge of Generation X
Dr. Berglas expertly chronicles the psychological dilemmas affecting many hard-driving, successful Baby Boomers who come to the realization: "Is that all there is?" Generation Xers must be laughing to see the Baby Boomers crash so hard.

The book is an easy read and offers good advice for those who still have the psyche to listen and act. But the disturbing point is that many of the example patients discussed in the book are unable to pull out of their funk. Will this psychological malaise become an epidemic among boomers?

The book is definitely worth reading. "Self-handicapping" and "overextension" are significant concepts developed by the author. The book would be better with fewer cute terms such as "Supernova Burnout" "Goldilocks dilemma" and "sundae fallacy."

A remarkable book...
"Reclaiming the Fire is a remarkable book. Few people are as gifted as Steve Berglas at getting into the psyche of businesspeople and unveiling it layer by layer so that the rest of us can begin to comprehend how they think and act."
-Jeffrey L. Seglin, author of The Good, the Bad, and Your Business: Choosing Right When Ethical Dilemmas Pull You Apart (Wiley)

Comfortable, Erudite, but a little short on solutions
Berglas is good. His topic hits right at the center of what I'm experiencing. I kept saying "Boy, that's me!" as I read. His case study stories are engaging and pertinent. Once in a while I had to slow wa-a-a-ay down to digest all the psychological principles he drifts into, but patience pays, because those principles, too, are pertinent. I felt that the last chapter of the book ended up being a receptacle for everything else he hadn't mentioned yet, and I had to read the last two chapters twice to see exactly what his proposed solutions were for what he terms "Supernova Burnout". The only reason I didn't give this book a "5" is that while he develops the syndrome's charactersitics very well, and shores up his analysis with sound psychological principle, his proposals for dealing with it, and turning it around, lacked clear direction. I would've liked to have seen more. ... Read more

Book Description

Hold on to your talent!To get the best and keep them, managers should hire and lead like good coaches do.

Business leaders struggling to attract and retain skilled employees can learn valuable lessons from veteran coaches and sports team managers.These pros have developed engaging leadership styles over years of dealing with a shortage of skilled talent, great mobility, and a younger generation demanding greater personal fulfillment.

So how do business leaders engage their employees?Just like winning coaches do:by hiring talented people who fit, setting ambitious goals for winning, and creating chemistry and trust among the team.

Examining the highly successful methods of coaching greats Lou Piniella, Dennis Green, Phil Jackson, Scotty Bowman, and many others, The Engaging Leader helps today's business leaders learn to build on their strengths, focus on the long term potential of employees, hold themselves accountable, take risks, and develop superb communications with team members. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Too many sports analogies to reach a broad audience.
I picked up this book based on the title, which emphasizes "winning" with today's "free agent" workforce.I presumed this meant the focus would be attracting the right kind of talent, and keeping those people engaged.To be fair, the book does get into the concept of cultural fit and motivation, but does so in a way which will appeal to a limited audience.

Like many, I am a sports fan, and often use analogies of team sports to make leadership or team work comparisons in the workplace.However, I am careful to not overuse these, as many are not interested in team sports and may not relate.This book is all about sports.Literally.Every page relates business leadership concepts to sports figures, in every major sport.Often this works to make his points, but it is simply too much in my opinion.The leadership concepts get lost in what often reads more like Sports Illustrated, than a business leadership book.

The concepts themselves are sound.These include discussions on "urgency of engagement", "team chemistry", "talent assessment", "goal setting" and more.In particular the author does a wonderful job of stressing the balance of home grown talent, and external hires.However, if we boiled this book down to just the leadership aspects, without the sports, it would be about 20 pages long.What is left is sometimes quite insightful, and always sound wisdom on leadership, but you can see just where the focus is.If you are a die hard sports fan, the kind of person who watches ESPN all day regardless of what is on, then this is the book for you.You will relate to the analogies, and the leadership tips and discussions are excellent.If you are not a sports fan, you may want to try a different source.

The book is well written, flows smoothly, and never dry.The "study questions" at the end of each chapter are also excellent.Perhaps a title which links this book more directly to sports would allow for clearer expectations up front.Some good insights, but may not be accessible to a diverse audience.

Great Read!
The Engaging Leader is an intelligent and creative alternative to the masses of MBA style leadership tomes that we have all encountered.

Its focus is on two principal leadership types and the best approaches to refining these within an organizational context, filled with an always unique and diverse audience of employees.The book is helpful to the manager wishing to improve her performance as well as that of the company.

Replete with some cutting edge demographic and generational statistics, The Engaging Leader provides a potent refresher as to what an effective business leader needs to focus on in 2003 and going forward.

Sports fans will also be reloaded with great super bowl cocktail party fodder as Dr. Gubman highlights several sports analogies and offers his wisdom as to what many a coach should have done in the case of a losing record or amid other team related shenanigans.You will impress your friends with the knowledge and insights gathered from these passages.

Read on!

Fabulous, Fun Read
The Engaging Leader is an intelligent and creative alternative to the masses of MBA style leadership tombs that we have all encountered.

Its focus is on two principal leadership types and the best approaches to refining these within an organizational context, filled with an always unique and diverse audience of employees.The book is helpful to the manager wishing to improve her performance as well as that of the company.

Replete with some cutting edge demographic and generational statistics, The Engaging Leader provides a potent refresher as to what an effective business leader needs to focus on in 2003 and going forward.

Sports fans will also be reloaded with great super bowl cocktail party fodder as Dr. Gubman highlights several sports analogies and offers his wisdom as to what many a coach should have done in the case of a losing record or amid other team related shenanigans.You will impress your friends with the knowledge and insights gathered from these passages.

Read on!

An everyman's guide to leadership
I've been a human resources professional for over 20 years, and Ed's book is a relief from the academic tomes that fill the bookshelves. It's very approachable, makes the point in a very compelling way how critical great leadership is today, and finds an everyday way to show what leadership means and the difference it makes. The sports analogies are entertaining, and the summary 'huddles' at the end of each chapter are simple and down to earth. Applause.

For Sports Fans and Business Fans alike
Yes, the Engaging Leader is one of numerous books that describe how to become a more effective business leader. What Gubman has done is used the compelling examples within the sports world to illustrate what it takes to not only win, but to also sustain success.

Even the casual sports fan will enjoy the insights into how engaging leadership differentiates the perennial winners (NY Yankees) from the losers (Chicago Cubs) or how to become the Phil Jackson of your organization and avoid becoming a Pat Riley.

While the underlying concepts presented are not radically different from the hundreds of other leadership books out there, this book is more practical than most. It also is a more enjoyable read...one I would (did) actually read while on vacation.

'The Huddle' section at the end of each chapter was a nice way to help determine what I could do differently to become a more engaging leader. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (20)

A Sales System Unlike Any Other
This book was written for those who have serious problems with gaining access to others of special importance to them. Boylan offers a cohesive and comprehensive system to overcome all manner of barriers. He calls it The Circle of Leverage™ and explains it within six different sections entitled:

What's Been Keeping You Out

The Circle of Leverage™ System: What It Is, What's Behind It, and How It Works

The Circle of of Leverage™ System: The Ten Preparation Steps

Making Your Move: The Five Execution Steps of the Circle of Leverage™ System

Advanced Moves

Mastering the Circle of Leverage™ System

Obviously, this book can be very helpful to those in sales but if we expand our perspective to include other forms of persuasion, this book offers even greater value. For example, consider the potential relevance of the Circle of Leverage™ System to recruiting and hiring, M&A initiatives, competing with others in the same organization for its resources, use of customers as an extended sales force, use of "alumni" to locate talent, etc.

The Circle of Leverage™ System is sound. Boylan's explanation of it is thorough and lucid. I recommend this book highly to anyone who is both willing and able to make a sustained commitment to applying these principles. What else will you need? Tenacity and patience.

One of the best books on how to get to the decision maker
As a sales trainer, I am always looking for "books of substance" which explain in detail, how to work a sales cycle and how to sell and influence others. Michael Boylan's book is one of the best I've read over the last 15 years. Many people I've trained have used some of his techniques and suggestions that I've mentioned from the book. Bottom line is great instruction from the book, and we have had great results.

Thought prevoking
Michael has put some common thoughts on paper, but has drilled down to their importance inthe sales process. If you go into this with the intention of gaining a leson to add to you collection of resources, you will find this very helpful. If you are looking for the golden egg, sorry but look again.

There is no silver lining in the sales process, but with some sound advice you can dramatically increase your effectiveness which equalls more closed deals. This book gives some very sound advise as to some of the obsticle we as salespeople all face and a means of overcoming them.

I highly recomend this for anyone interested in improving their chances of closing that next deal.

Outstanding augmentation for existing sales processes
I am a VP Sales for a technology firm and I only recently read this book. I was so impressed with the innovative material I flew to MN to meet the author! Despite what the negative reviewers have said, this book is NOT a sales manual. It IS a manual for obtaining access. It is an excellent precursor to an existing sales process, but the sales process already needs to be in place. The author uses the term "bolt-on" addition which is a very good visual depiction of how this tool should be used.

Any good executive can tell you how difficult it is to be seen at the appropriate levels. More and more, callers and visitors are sloughed off to the next lower level, and if the caller doesn't have a compelling reason to stay at the executive level, they will invariably continue to be pushed down lower and lower until they are speaking with the lowliest of the non-decision makers, a "recommender." Horrors!

Don't sell this book short. "Getting In" is a master treatise on how to develop and keep access at the C-level. I highly recommend it.

More here than some readers may suspect
The negative reviews of this book complain that, according to those reviewers:
- The book says nothing new.
- The book says to do things that don't work.
- The book has only a little to say; most of the book is repetition and should have been only a magazine article.

I am a managing partner in a national consulting firm. My assistant receives an average of nine or ten sales solicitations that want to get through to me daily. In my experience, I have never had a salesperson call my office using the techniques described in this book. So does the book give us new methods? If my experience is valid, apparently so. My assistant has received many sales calls from sales people who did some research on our firm, and since I am as high up as you can get, many sales people start high. But to say that this is all the book is talking about is incomplete, I believe.

Three of my personal clients, all of them Fortune 1000 companies, have begun using the methods in this book. Those clients have increased the number of sales presentations by an average of 212%. They have increased the number of purchases by an average of 156%. They have increased their sales dollars by an average of 120%. One client, an advertising agency, has increased billings from clients captured in the last 12 months by 330%. Do the techniques work? Apparently. (By the way, our consulting firm started using these techniques, and by doing so within 12 months landed 7 new clients with an average billing of just under $1 million per client. Yes, it works.)

I am not offended by repetition. I welcome it. It gives me a chance to see the same topic from slightly different viewpoints. I begin to see the nuances. Most of the business books I read are very repetitive. That's fine. There is more here than simply sending out a bunch of form letters. For example, Boylan goes into the topic of "sincerity, honesty, and integrity regarding what you are selling" three times, at least. For a thoughtful salesperson, I feel there is a great deal to be aware of, and to think about in that topic. I'm glad Boylan repeats it.

And consider this: If this were a magazine article, which magazine would carry it? I doubt any of the big business magazines would. Maybe one of the Sales journals would. So how many people would see that article? I, for one, would not have. The costs of publishing and distributing a book require that the book sell for a minimum price, and who is going to pay that price for ten pages -- assuming that it is really a good idea to take out all the repetition? And remember this: the single-issue price of many journals today is $5 minimum, which is not much less than this book costs to buy on Amazon.

Would I feel manipulated by this method were it used on me? If it were really followed, I would not, because the core value of the method is honesty and integrity, which is contradictory of manipulation. But be careful: you have to REALLY follow the method, not just pay it lip service.

Would I meet with someone who used this method, where I ended up at the correct end-point of the process? ABSOLUTELY!

Bottom line: read this book carefully, with an open mind, and practice it carefully and with integrity, and you will likely reap good benefit. ... Read more

Book Description

Appearance. Performance skills. Confidence. All are winning – and attainable – traits that will help you land the job you want. You can acquire these skills by perusing Job Interviews For Dummies. This revised edition incorporates a multitude of updates and covers all the bases in getting employers to say, You're the one!

Written for all job seekers – new entrants, midlevel people, very experienced individuals, and technical and non-technical job seekers – Job Interviews For Dummies is packed with the building blocks of show-stopping interviews. These range from strategies and techniques to sample dialogue and research tips. Interviewing for a job is kind of like a stage performance, and if you want metaphorical standing ovations, then follow the guidelines offered in these pages.

In this book, you'll explore the basics of interviewing, from how to dress to how to answer all sorts of questions – questions about you, your interest in the company, your experience, you education and training, your skills, your age, and questions they shouldn't ask but sometimes do anyway. You'll also uncover information about

• Practicing for your interview, and why it's so important
• Recognizing the mind games of job testing
• Wooing reviewers who give you references
• Identifying various interviewing scenarios you should expect
• Answering questions to sell yourself.
• Understanding the new interviewing technology, such as telephone interviews and video transmissions.

On the stress scale, interviewing for a job ranks with making speeches before a vegetable-throwing crowd. Stress is such a big issue that some interviewees take tranquilizers or beta blockers to reduce it. A better way exists: Master the job-interviewing process. Get the winning ways down pat, and you'll have a special kind of insurance the rest of your working days. This guide can help. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

I got a job thanks to this book!
I was always nervous during my interviews, I did not know what to expect on an interview. After reading this book I feel more confident; it gives you model answers to the questions, professional appearance tips, how to deal with different kind of interviewers, and many more.... I GOT A JOB!!!

Very helpful
I have always been terrified of interviews and found this book to be of GREAT help. Highly recommended!

Entertaining!
Just as entertaining as the other Dummies books I've read.
Substancial, informative, a good read.

Well worth the price of admission
This book's theme is that job interviewing is really performance art and how you can use it to get job offers. Throughout the book the case is made that the job interview should be approached much like an audition for a part in a play. Some of the most important traits needed to win the part are appearance, performance skills and confidence, and this book goes over them in an entertaining and easily readable fashion.

One thing I liked is the way each topic is covered and then tips are given to illustrate the ShowStopper way as well as the Show Flopper way, with breakout boxes discussing areas that are judgment calls in which the experts are divided and it's up to you to decide how one approach or another best fits your situation.

Doing your homework prior to the interview is stressed heavily, as is the obvious value of correcting any deficiencies you may have in your skill set or educational background. The ultimate answer to difficult questions about your qualifications or lack thereof is to either have those skills now or be working on getting them, so you can walk onstage with the confidence needed to land the part.

Joe Buchberger

Hope other applicants don't read this book!
Job Interviews for Dummies is loaded with all the inside scoop information you need to successfully land that dream job! (Provided you're qualified for it). In fact, about the only thing Job Interviews for Dummies cannot tell you, are those rapport building, ice breaking conversation topics for your particular interviewee...does he/she like golf, dogs, etc. You'll have to figure those out on your own!

Job Interviews for Dummies clearly spells out what you should expect, and how you should prepare in order to have a successful job interview.

I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Book Description

Human resources professionals are entrusted, perhaps more than any other corporate designates, with the well-being of their organization's population. They bridge the gaps between the individual and the collective, the person and the purpose. The most successful and effective HR professionals see their careers as a calling, and their work, though driven by corporate goals, is graced by a sense of purpose, a profound generosity, and a love for what they do and the constituencies they serve.

HR from the Heart is a book for HR practitioners who love their jobs -- or want to. Libby Sartain, one of the country's top human resources executives, reveals how HR professionals create a synergy between business objectives and the needs and wants of employees. This inspiring book is equal parts motivational message and how-to, confessional and career guide. Filled with stories from Sartain's considerable experience, HR from the Heart offers a first-hand perspective on forging relationships, selling HR to the company, taking diversity beyond "by the book," keeping policy in perspective, and more -- all while making the right career moves, staying engaged, and forwarding the strategic goals of the company. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Excellent and inspiring
Libby and Martha have written an excellent book reflecting the learnings of many years of HR Experience. For those with lots of experience and a caring heart, you will reflect on your HR career and say "hey, that's what I've learned in 20 years." There are good ideas on how to be a strategic and caring leader that will help you be more successful.

For those newer to HR, the book will provide insights that may prevent you from making the same mistakes that us older folks have made. There are also insights on managing your HR career.

I would also recommend the book to CEO and other high-level Execs that 1) want more from their HR department or 2) don't know what they want or what HR can be.

The book is well written and inspirational. Thanks to the authors.

Educational, Inspiring, Reinforcing
If you're employed in the human resources field, you'll get a lot out of this book. You'll enjoy a conversation about a wide range of relevant topics with someone who's become a sort of legend in the human resources (HR) field. If you're not in HR, thinking about going into HR, or related to someone in HR, this book will have less value for you.

That said, we must appreciate that a book written in one specialty field may also have value for professionals in another field. While many of the stories and perspectives won't be germane for marketing people, financial folks, or sales professionals, there are some cross-functional lessons to be learned. Although the book is obviously intended for an HR audience, it will have value for people in other professions in the corporate world.

Over the course of 44 chapters, Sartain, who gained fame as Vice President of People for Southwest Airlines, shares her experiences-and some advice-with readers. She shows how valuable HR can be to an organization and how meaningful a career HR can be. This volume will be powerfully reinforcing for people in the field, describing some of the ups and downs and lessons of the author's experience. Anyone contemplating entering the field-or debating about staying in HR-should read these pages.

Readers will gain a better understanding of what Sartain did to build her career, as well as where things didn't go so well. This is not a touchy-feely gushy book as the title might imply, but a realistic report that confronts a wide range of issues in the profession head-on. The chapters are full of advice, some presented directly and some inferred by the lessons learned by the author.

HR from the Heart is the kind of book that will be read thoughtfully by a senior or mid-level professional in the HR field, then passed around to colleagues. Thought-provoking, its reading will stimulate conversations that will raise sensitivities, intensify reality, offer balance, and probably hold some people in the profession that have given some thought to leaving. HR is a field in transition, in search of its rightful place in the corporate design. The contents of Sartain's book, assembled with the able assistance of the insightful professional writer, Martha Finney, comfortably address issues in a way that will aid in the growth of respect for HR and its influence on the corporate world.

Chicken soup for the soul for people working in HRM
Touchy, feely, sentimental, nausia-inducing krud - If this is where HRM is going, its as good as dead. Any organisation that has the time and money to heed this stuff needs to critically re-think why the hell its in business. As an operational management analyst, I always had doubts about HRM, believing it to be a BY-product of organisational success NOT a driver. This book confirms this belief.

An HR companion
Whether you starting out your HR career, transitioning to a new HR role or looking for an new HR twist, HR from the Heart will be a trusted companion. It's real, honest, informative and fun. I recommend it to all my collegues!

GREAT book for those in the HR field
What an inspiring book. I couldn't put it down. Libby has had an amazing career and she is very forthright about it in her book. There is a lot to be learned from her. Thank you for making me see that I really can make a difference in HR. I think it is easy to become somewhat cynical in HR and you brought out the passion for me. THANKS, Libby! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

One of my three faves on this topic
I loved this book. It was one of the first I ever read on typology and Myers-Briggs. The writing style is easy without being condescending. The descriptions of the different types were really useful. I totally recognized myself. Best of all, there was no judgement of readers for being who they are. The book showed me how to embrace my weaknesses as well as my strengths. Highly reccommended.

The Clearest Description of Temperament You'll Find
This book describes the ways in which people most naturally relate to each other and the world. It is based on the Myers-Briggs dimensions and is the most useful, easiest to read, and clearest description of these preferences I've ever seen. Even if you are not at all familiar with the Myers-Briggs, you will learn an enourmous amount about yourself and everyone you come into contact with in this very readable book. It will also be simple to figure out how to use this information to make it easier to relate effectively at home and at work. I'm a psychologist and this may be the most useful book I've ever found.

Good Introduction
I found this book an eye-opener - it helped me understand the results of the Myers Briggs assessment and to understand how differently different people approach life. I have been reassessing my interactions with family, friends and colleagues ever since. It is written in an easy style, positive and helpful. I soon went looking for more on type theory and I am very glad I read this first, rather than Keirsey's more arrogant work. ... Read more

Book Description

What are the keys to success? Scientists have studied the traits, beliefs, and practices of successful people in all walks of life. But the answers they find wind up in stuffy academic journals aimed at other scientists.

The 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People takes the best and most important research results from over a thousand studies and spells out the key findings in ways we can all understand. Each entry contains advice based on those findings, a real life example of what to do or not to do, and a telling statistic based on scientific research. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Good Bathroom Reading
The key to understanding this book is right in the title, "simple secrets". There is nothing complicated or deep about any of the 100 short stories, complete with a moral and lesson of the day. Most of the "secrets" seemed a little forced and within the 100 there was a bit of redundancy.

This book also focused about 75% of it's secrets and stories on work/business related experiences. The lack of variety made this seem more like a "how to do better at your job book". Really one-dimensional.

I was dissapointed, but kept the book...the short stroies are trite but offer some tiny gems of western culture wisdom. Nothing really new, but a good 5 minute read.

Lots of useful tips on how to succeed
I'm a sucker for books that draw me in with a captivating
title . . . so when I saw THE 100 SIMPLE SECRETS OF
SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE by Dr. David Niven, I just had to read it.

The book's subtitle (WHAT SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED AND HOW
YOU CAN USE IT) was also of interest . . . it gave me the impression
that the secrets would be based on actual research findings.

That said, I must admit to being disappointed with the author's
attempt to back up his secrets with research . . . this approach

seemed forced, in the sense that the studies that were presented
didn't relate all that well to the point that was seemingly being made.

Yet I still liked the book for what it did do well; i.e., give useful
tips on how to succeed--be it in work or life . . . furthermore,
each of the 100 short chapters was backed up by an inspiring
story, such as Olympic gold medalist Paul Gonzales' rise from
a gang-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood . . . another one
I liked: a schoolteacher's simple advice that helped make David
Brinkley a top news anchorman.

There were several sections that I really enjoyed; among them:
* Think of success as filling a box. You'll be finished sooner not just
by working harder to fill it but also by choosing a smaller box.

Becky considers herself normal in most respects. She has a career,
a husband, two children, and almost no time.

"Do you ever feel like you woke up in an episode of Twilight Zone?
My story is the person who constantly has more things to do and
less time in which to do it. It's like every day I have to make more
runs to the store than the day before, and I have to do it in half
the time." Becky concluded that the key to living life at her own pace,
instead of in a rushed hurry, was "to realize what is really important.
I spent so much time doing things because I thought I was supposed
to instead of because they were really necessary."

To get out of her Twilight Zone, Becky stopped going after everything.
"If you run out of time trying to do absolutely everything, then some-
times you wind up finishing the stupid stuff and missing out on what
really matters."

* No matter what your career dream, it will at some point cause conflict
in your home life. It is easier to pretend these conflicts do not exist
or to dodge the matter whenever possible. But ignoring conflict doesn't
make it go away; it just feeds the conflict and makes it worse.
Discuss conflicts between your work life and yo