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Book Review: Martin Seligman, Jonathan Fields, Joshua Waldman, and Trevor Shane

January 13, 2012 By Caroline Ceniza-Levine Leave a Comment

I was lucky enough to take the week between Christmas and New Year’s off AND have a 6-hour flight to California and back. This meant lots of reading on the plane and lots of reading on vacation. I was able to knock off four books that had been taunting me from my unread shelf, and I enjoyed them all:

“Flourish” by Martin Seligman

I’m already a Martin Seligman fan (he’s the force behind the Positive Psychology movement). I’m currently reading another of his books, “What You Can Change…and What You Can’t” and I’m enjoying that even more than “Flourish”. “Flourish” is a great overview of Seligman’s work in positive psychology. It gives food for thought on a variety of issues — the relationship between optimism and good health, the importance of having more positive interactions than negative interactions for strong relationships, and numerous case studies on motivation, meaning and achievement. I love his easygoing candid style mixed with scientific hard data. I particularly loved his smackdown of Barbara Ehrenreich. I wasn’t an Ehrenreich fan to begin with (I started 2 books by her and couldn’t finish either.  She writes soooooo negatively that even cynical me goes running for the door!). I found Seligman’s rebuttal of her work on point and funny. If you want to be inspired to be more positive and optimistic in the various areas of your life, “Flourish” is a good read.

“Career Renegade” by Jonathan Fields

The subtitle of “Career Renegade” is How To Make A Great Living Doing What You Love, and Fields delivers by detailing a number of examples, his included, of people who found success professionally and financially in careers you wouldn’t think were big money makers (yoga for Fields, cupcake art, Napa Valley painter). The stories are inspiring. The advice on PR and establishing your credibility is particularly good. I love how Fields doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties and how hard he and others have worked. I particularly loved his conclusion that the ultimate guru/ expert on your career is You, and that while you have to do the work and learn from others, you have to follow your compass and point of view. You don’t hear that advice often enough, and I appreciated that. If you want a good overview and inspiring examples of non-traditional career choices, “Career Renegade” is for you.

“Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies” by Joshua Waldman

My big quibble with this book (and it’s not Waldman’s fault) is that the For Dummies moniker might attract people looking for a beginner’s book. This book could absolutely be used by inexperienced people, but should be required reading for experienced candidates who need the latest techniques on job search. Waldman delivers an exhaustive overview of the major social networks, as well as other online tactics such as blogging, video resumes, and niche sites. Waldman covers, not only the ins and outs of these techniques, but overall job search strategy and tips. There is a lot of information here which can be overwhelming. There isn’t much offered by way of how you should actually pace yourself to get through everything suggested in the book. Still, if you can get past the temptation to panic and shut down at all the information thrown at you, it’s very valuable information. “Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies” is an excellent reference book and a great gift for the career-minded.

“Children of Paranoia” by Trevor Shane

You know I’m a Trevor Shane fan b/c I interviewed him for my final radio show of 2011.  He’s a hedge fund lawyer by day and managed to publish a thriller (not a legal thriller even, but a war/ fantasy piece) in his spare time.  That is a cool career story!  “Children of Paranoia” is a fast-paced, finish-in-one-sitting type of read. Lots of killing, so it won’t be for everyone. Quite a depressing storyline, so really not for everyone. But “Children of Paranoia” transports you into a different world, and has a very charismatic anti-hero that I found myself rooting for despite myself. This would be a fun read for a book club b/c there are many sub-themes to the story — prejudice, youth and war, the meaning of family, love, and friendship. If you are ok with a story centered on people killing each other for no good reason, then you’ll have fun with this book. The I-need-to-feel-good crowd may want to skip this sad, dark tale.

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Book Review: Roadmap To Revenue by Kristin Zhivago

November 29, 2011 By Caroline Ceniza-Levine Leave a Comment

A stern warning: Roadmap To Revenue by Krstin Zhivago is a very worthwhile book to read but it’s dense. I have to confess that I almost gave up in the first few chapters because the start is very dry. In this way, it reminded me a lot of Blue Ocean Strategy, which was also a pain to read but had a big payoff in the end.

The first few chapters are about interviewing customers. This is very helpful to business owners to think about their own customer service and how customer-focused it really is. If you can get through the lists and lists of questions, the pace picks up considerably. I LOVED the section on low, medium, and high scrutiny products.  I also loved the recommendations on SEO and other web marketing — again Zhivago is great about getting the business owner to think like the customer.

I highly recommend the book for its content. The content is original, very important to a business, and thorough. Just be prepared to read this in a quiet place where you can focus!

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Book Review: Harper’s Rules by Danny Cahill

November 22, 2011 By Caroline Ceniza-Levine Leave a Comment

I liked Harper’s Rules by Danny Cahill so much that I gave it a shout out in my Work In Progress blog for Forbes.com. This is a SUPER FUN book. The subtitle is “A Recruiter’s Guide to Finding a Dream Job and the Right Relationship” so you suspect from the start that it is irreverent and unique , and the book does not disappoint. Fast-paced, funny, bordering on melodrama (but always in an entertaining way ), this book manages to get across excellent career advice while making smart observations about human relationships.

The book is told parable-style, following the fictional exploits of sales executive Casey Matthews as she navigates a senior-level job search and a failing romantic life, supported by her executive recruiter and friend, Harper Scott. Harper is writing a book (conveniently titled “Harper’s Rules”) and he shares one chapter at a time with Casey, just when she needs it most along her search. You learn about how to leave a job without burning bridges, why to never accept a counteroffer, and how to close that deal.

Having married the first guy I dated, I can’t vouch for the relationship advice, but the career advice is solid. Harper’s Rules reads like CNBC meets Lifetime. It’s business but it’s fun. I loved this book.

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Book Review: Blue Jean Manifesto by Julie Maloney

November 15, 2011 By Caroline Ceniza-Levine Leave a Comment

I met Julie Maloney earlier this year at a business conference organized by networking expert Liz Lynch. I was so impressed with her candid and street smart approach to careers that I asked her to guest blog on the SixFigureStart blog.  In turn, she asked me to read and review her book, Blue Jean Manifesto.

This is definitely a Manifesto. It is a rallying cry to be proactive about your career. Maloney offers up a fast read and burst of encouragement to follow your passions. Yet, it is a very practical book that warns the reader against waiting for someone else (an employer, the government) to save your career. Maloney implores you to save yourself and be CEO of your own career.

This is not a how-to career book, but more a why careers matter book. If you’re feeling the blues in your career and want a kick in the pants to get moving, this is a fun way to get momentum. Like a wake-up call from a friend, Blue Jean Manifesto provides the advice that you know you need to hear.

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A Handbook for These Uncertain Times

November 7, 2011 By Connie Thanasoulis Leave a Comment

Here is the link to an article that was recently written about our book: http://blog.silive.com/inside_out_column/2011/11/a_handbook_for_these_uncertain_times.html

As a reminder to our readers, Caroline and I have co-written an e-book about the job search and you can read it on line FOR FREE!

If you, or someone you know, needs some advice on your job search, find the tab “Books” on our website and you’ll find the table of contents to “Six Steps to Job Search Success”, along with a link to read it on line. So whether you are unemployed, or unhappily employed, use this free resource as it can make a huge difference to your career.

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Do You Practice Jeffrey Gitomer’s 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness?

June 28, 2011 By Caroline Ceniza-Levine Leave a Comment

Jeffrey Gitomer is an experienced salesperson who now writes, speaks and coaches for salespeople. His “Little Red Book of Selling” has the subtitle, “12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness.” He uses that .5 hook throughout the book with lists that include top 10.5 or top 5.5 instead of just the whole number. I honestly didn’t understand why tips were half-tips rather than whole, so I can only assume it was a cosmetic trick rather than something of greater meaning. Gitomer uses a lot of these visual, superficial hooks throughout the book — cartoon characters to highlight key tips, pull-out quotes to re-emphasize a point. I can imagine some people really respond to that learning style, but some may find it annoying.

The book lists good common sense advice. As an avid business book reader, I don’t think I learned anything new, but I did like the tip about leaving a memorable voicemail message. I’m not sure I would agree that having your 10-year old leave a message is right for everyone (or even anyone) but it did get my attention. And that’s the key takeaway I had from Gitomer’s book — he made me pay attention, and in an era of attention deficit, that is quite an accomplishment, so clearly he sold me on his ideas. Gitomer includes a lot of hooks, but beyond the flash there is substance to his sizzle. He includes solid advice on researching your competitors, developing rapport, following up, qualifying your prospects and other key sales lessons. “Little Red Book of Selling” is a fast read and worth the investment.

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Do You Have What It Takes To Be Successful?

June 21, 2011 By Caroline Ceniza-Levine Leave a Comment

According to Jim Randel in The Skinny On Success, success comes from the physical (persistent action) and the emotional (ability to move forward despite fear of failure). The subtitle of this entry into the Skinny series is “Why Not You?” and Randel does emphasize how much success is available to anyone who chooses to do the work.  Quoting from success classics from Malcolm Gladwell, Geoff Colvin, Ken Robinson and more, The Skinny On Success is an overview of some of the best nuggets out there on success.

I’ve read the Networking entry in the Skinny series, and like that one, The Skinny On Success is a very fast read with lots of stick figure comics to assure the reader it’s a very fast read. If you read a lot of  business and coaching books, you probably have already read everything referenced here, so it may seem redundant (or you may appreciate the review). If you haven’t, The Skinny On Success provides a nice Cliff Notes-type read which hopefully prompts you to go back to the longer texts it refers to.

All-in-all the message of success being accessible to all is a positive one, and Randel makes this such a fast read, you have no excuse not to read this and get success habits to use right away.

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Do You Know The True Cost Of Decisions You Make

June 14, 2011 By Caroline Ceniza-Levine Leave a Comment

I’m a fan of all things business and economics, so I was excited to read Eduardo Porter’s “The Price of Everything: Solving the Mystery of Why We Pay What We Do.” Essentially, he reduces everything, not just easily quantifiable things, to costs (and benefits) so that we can think about the decisions and choices we make.  The Introduction argues that Prices Are Everywhere.  Subsequent chapters cover the price of Life, Happiness, Women, Free, Faith and the Future.

Porter is a business and economics reporter and now a member of the New York Times editorial board.  He pushes buttons when he argues that polygamous societies value women more, that human lives have been reduced to cold dollars and cents many times (when making litigation decisions for example), and that the Catholic Church might be losing members by being too lax.  There are many times throughout the book that made me stop and think about my own choices and behavior.

I’ve written before about price, cost and value, and how these are separate and different things, so Porter’s topic is near and dear to me.  This book is not a breezy read because there are uneasy questions raised, but Porter covers an important topic in an accessible way.  I know as an artist I was saddened to read Porter confirm my suspicions about the harm of free online content on artists (and journalists).  I challenge you to read “The Price of Everything: Solving the Mystery of Why We Pay What We Do” and still go about your way business-as-usual.

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Are You A Non-Conformist

May 24, 2011 By Caroline Ceniza-Levine Leave a Comment

If you might define non-conformity as not pursuing a traditional career path, then you will enjoy Chris Guillebeau’s The Art of Non-Conformity.  I’ve seen Guillebeau’s name referenced in a lot of coaching outlets that I read so I was excited to get to the source myself and read the book.  It’s a breezy read with good anecdotes about people leading lives outside of the typical 9-5 office.

It’s more a collection of Guillebeau’s ideas, rather than specific tips or strategies so pick up the book for inspiration and motivation, rather than specific ideas. He’s careful not to be too dogmatic — e.g., recognizing that you can have a 9-5 job and still have a life. I appreciated that restraint because a lot of the current coaching dogma seems to pooh pooh traditional employment and put entrepreneurship on an unrealistic pedestal.

I also appreciated Guillebeau’s example of his own writing target of 1,000 words per day. He is candid about measuring his output, and this added a nice quantitative counterpoint to the largely qualitative, ideas-focused book. When you see how hard Guillebeau works — volunteering in West Africa for 4 years, writing day-in and day-out — it’s a good example that non-conformity doesn’t mean lounging around and taking it easy. That said, Guillebaue is a good example of how you can work hard, but not t have to be Type A, work-for-work’s sake either.

All-in-all, The Art of Non-Conformity is a fast source of motivation. It’s an antidote to the blahs, a call to action to get started (or keep going), and a reminder that you can do hard work and still love what you do.

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Are You Getting Naked With Your Clients?

May 17, 2011 By Caroline Ceniza-Levine Leave a Comment

Patrick Lencioni knows how to title what could be just another book on business building. Getting Naked is subtitled “A Business Fable…about shedding the three fears that sabotage client loyalty.” Told as a fictional story of one large management consulting firm acquiring a boutique and the interesting lessons Goliath learns from David, Getting Naked is an extremely fast and entertaining read.

Lencioni exaggerates the simpleton features of David and the  Evil Empire that is Goliath for effect, so I didn’t buy into all of it. But the overall takeaways are solid:

Don’t be so afraid of losing the business that you sell, instead of serve;

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and cut through jargon;

Tell your clients the truth, even when it’s bad news.

As an improviser myself, I loved how Lencioni used an improvisational theater principal, Enter the Danger, to make a point about facing difficult issues with your client. In improv, you and one or more partners creates a scene spontaneously, and sometimes a seemingly out of place or weird plot line or idea is implied. Enter the Danger refers to going along with that weirdness, rather than ignoring it or working around it. For client service, this could mean calling out a problem at the client with culture or a difficult employee, rather than glossing over it. It’s a clever analogy and a wise business point.

I highly recommend Getting Naked as a read and as a business practice. When you get naked with your clients, you are courageous, honest and vulnerable, all elements of good client service.

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