a very good book to end a great career
922662
I wanted to read this book slowly to make it last, knowing this was the last Clancy book. A great read with a few technical errors. A good job of linking the past with the present day. I am always amazed Clancy had his finger on the pulse of the world, good example with the current unrest in the Ukraine.  Good- bye Mr Clancy. I hope there are some unpublished stories out there somewhere. Thanks for the many great stories.
971352
March 9, 2005

Reviewer: Chris Downing from UK

I love these books that relate careers as they really are rather than how a journaist or a professional writer sees them from the outside. This book covers all aspects of being a working musician and can be related to any instruments easily.

It's a tough business and if you're thinking of doing it perhaps you shouldn't bother. This book will show you that thinking about it demostrates doubt and plan B's - you'll need more commitment and nutty obsession to survive as a musician. If you absolutely must play - then reading this book will help you avoid the pitfalls, enjoy the successes and understand what you'll need to be doing every day to earn a crust.
2814195
This is a great book, possibly the best of the series. If you think all there is to life is a college degree and a J-O-B, think again. Mr. Kiwosoki has written an excellent book that is right for the times. You can retire rich and you can retire young by following the principles in this book. I also recommend "The New Professionals" and "Turner Turner, Turner: The King of Network Marketing" for additional reading and insight.
4805790
Becoming the Boss is a very good book on what you need to do to take ownership of your professional life and career.  I like that this book puts success squarely on the shoulders of the individual.  It offers great tips and best practices to equip yourself and take ownership of your career.  This is the stuff they don't teach you in schools.  I have frequent opportunity to train young professionals on how to get to the next level of their careers.  I would not hesitate to recommend this book.
2316461
This book was recommended to me 3 days after I was terminated from the job from hell.

I read the book, front to back with out doing the exercises.

Then I started from the beginning reading the entire book, and doing the exercises.

1) The book is actually a good read with or with out the exercises.

2) While I felt silly completely the exercises (Infact, I refused to work on it in the presence of my husand.) I did complete each and every one if them.

After I had completed everything, I then started my search.

Before the book, I knew I wanted a career change, and decided I was going to have to accept a very low paying job and start from the bottom.

After the book, I felt confident that I could get the same pay and be in a different field.  I DID find that!

I am making a couple dollars more an hour, for a fraction of the stress from my previous career.

I am so thankful the book was recommended to me, and Richard Bolles, the author has nailed the Career Search.

If you are unhappy with your career, read this.
2526902
If you're the sort of writer whose way of dealing with procrastination is to read a book about how to overcome procrastination, Writers Rehab: A 12-Step Program for Writers Who Cant Get Their Acts Together will be the last book youll ever read on the subject. The book is well-known writing teacher and consultant D.B. Gilless recovery program for writers addicted to various forms of writers block. At some 130 pages it will be the best two hours you ever spent thats cheaper than a movie.

Following in the footsteps of AA (and with more than an occasion nod to, if not echo of, James Campbells or Christopher Voglers twelve steps of the Heros Journey), Gilles begins with each section with an affirmation goes on to a sharply limited explanation and then proceeds to the next point or chapter.

The focus here is getting on with it, getting it done, not the producing or the publishing. The book will be most helpful to fiction writers with the usual array of creative problems. Such mechanical issues as time management aren't addressed, nor are the different problems faced by non-fiction writers (involving the relevancies of facts and the reliability of sources). For more serious problems, Gilles bluntly suggests proper therapy.

A Thirteenth Step for comedy writers is unnecessary and not just because its as tired a joke as the nineteenth hole for golfers. The material could have been easily incorporated into the earlier twelve steps, allowing Gilles to maintain the integrity of the conceit.

Recommended.
4713223
I really enjoyed this book, the old way of finding jobs, send resumes and wait is gone. Welcome to The 2 HourJob Search. Dalton recommends a 80/20 principle , good is enough it doesn't have to be perfect because you could hours and hours spinning your wheels and the 2 hours is efficient and effective. Find a booster would will help you and avoids the traps.
3777129
Former New York Times columnist ("Shifting Careers"), author, and now VP, Encore.org, Marci Alboher's "Encore Career Handbook" was a creative response to her own search for an encore career.  Alboher's  search resulted from a downsizing at the New York Times and increasing difficulty finding a place in the rapidly changing world of journalism. She openly shares relevant parts of her story and serves as our guide in "Encore Career."

What is an encore career? The culmination of a mid-life "search for purpose, passion, and a paycheck that coalesces into a new career that allows you to continue to work while integrating meaning and social purpose."  Embracing life beyond 50 is a distinct chapter in life. It is characterized by new perspectives, new priorities, and the capacity and desire to do something important with your hard-earned insights.

Alboher calls this the "Encore Career" a movement. The aging of the baby-boomers provides ample fuel - we are about to undergo a major societal and workforce transition due to the greatest influx of human capital since millions of women joined the workforce in the 1960s and 70s. Finding new ways to use your talent and experience to do something useful in the world delivers on three promises -  to make an impact on the world, to experience  a sense of renewal by doing something different and significant, and help change expectations about mid-life for future generations.

How long does a typical encore career last? It can last a few years to twenty or more depending on your aspirations, health, finances, and energy. What is the right age to get started? There are no hard and fast ages, but disruptions on your life's journey may provide the catalyst. Reasons considering an encore career include: burnout, a nagging feeling, a dream deferred, a loss, or crisis of conscience.

Developing an encore career is a personalized process. As such, this book has been designed to be used as a course (read the chapters sequentially) or as a reference (pick and choose chapters based on where you are and your personal needs). "There is no one destination, no one path to follow."

Alboher outlines the encore career in Chapter 1; the "whats and hows" of encore work in Chapter 2; help to identify what your encore career could look like in Chapter 3; how to create time and space for a an encore career in Chapter 4; the "nitty-gritty" of encore transitions in Chapters 5, 6, 7: ideas on how to fine tune your thoughts so you can move forward in Chapter 8; help on whether or not you should go back to school in Chapter 9; and  the bigger issues in Chapters 10, 11.

You will find an "Encore Hotlist" (emerging opportunities in a changing world), sample resumes and bios, a personal budget worksheet, a business plan builder, and extra resources (books, associations, web sites) at the end of the book.

The author emphasizes that "encore pioneers" are on the vanguard of change and urges us to set in motion our encore career to insure our last chapter is significant. With this handbook, you can find how to become a leader as a pioneering participant in this movement.

(Reviewers Note: I have been co-leading a ministry focused on executive, managers, and professionals in-transition since 2001. I have reviewed many other books to help those in-transition and will add that this book addresses a void in the market - that of the over-50 professional. I will be recommending this as a resource to those who are over 50 years of age. We presently serve 800 executives, managers, and professionals from ages 30 yrs to 70 yrs.)
3113626
This book is extremely valuable and useful.

To me, it's clearly intended for highly compensated Wall Street professionals that have either been laid off or fired.  This book is designed to put confidence back inside the reader and develop a realistic game plan to get back in the game.  The key is to get a foothold at an interim job first (to stop the 'unemployment gap' clock), which can later be spun into a positive story and re-positions you for interviews at your ideal job.

it's really smart and has a lot of helpful detail.  This author is realistic.  Hopefully you won't need this book, but if you do, this is actually a good survival guide.
2040824
James did it again in my opinion, except this book was much more concise than his other chose yourself books. Gives some great advice on how to exceed in the workplace. I would just caution that this works well if you have a boss that you can train, but if the company lets your boss go then you will next. If they leave then you need to start training the new boss if possible and planning your exit strategy in case the new boss cannot work out.

I especially agree with his comment on always knowing your market value. Seen that bite a lot of IT folks when their niche is no longer hot and they think they are worth 20k more and they really should be happy they are working.
341958
Almost like a sequel to his "The Joy Of Not Working," Ernie Zelinksi's "How To Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" works fine as a stand-alone book giving tips for a happy retirement.

He discusses finding your true calling (which for many people was not their previous job), exercise (so you'll be healthy during retirement), travel, optional relocation, continuing education and many other retirement-related topics.

Great book for anyone contemplating retirement.
2040371
I started to read this book after reading Tim Ferris recommendation of it.
The book is a great read, written well and is enjoyable throughout reading all of it.
It teaches how to apply rules to get to the top. Deliberate practice broken into steps.

This is a story of a true champion. A person which is both a pro in chess and martial arts. The main idea of it is how to get there. The writer simply tells which actions needs to be performed in order to achieve master-ship in every subject.
I would recommend this book to anyone which wants to improve their learning habits by breaking the micros into the macros.

A bit differenent from a man who won world championship by breaking up the rules.....
707766
I really enjoyed this book, despite its best efforts.

It's written like a boilerplate business non-fiction.  Every chapter opens with an anecdote and continues with a lesson from the anecdote.  It has 4 rules that you can easily remember.  All the stuff that every business non-fiction book does.

Nevertheless, the ideas in the book are incredibly interesting.  This is the book I'd give to all the people out there who are unsure what they want to do as a living, who are unhappy with their jobs and who are hopelessly searching for a passion which they can monetize so they can live they life that they think they're supposed to have.  "Work on your skills" is much better way to live for most people than "go find your passion and then you'll know what to do for the rest of your life."
1287597
I was on a roll with this book, then got to the part on making an index cards in chapter 3. You could tear up 8.5x11 sheets of paper or use big sticky notes, but I wanted to do it right. It took me a while to get to the store and I stopped reading the book till I got them.

With the index cards you make a card for each person that you have relationships with. I didn't think I had that many, but after getting his direction, I realize I have quite a few. Questions to ask yourself include:
- Who do I know that is wise about career issues?
- Who have I worked with?
- Who do I know that is influential?
- Who do you know that owns a business?
- Who do I follow online that is in my desired career space?
- What casual relationship am I forgetting that might have a career impact?

For each of these questions, he gives some narrative to help you think about someone. This section takes some thoughtfulness, and although I have limited "friends," I was able to make card on all of these. The index card thing is a big deal and a great idea to help with your career "relationships"

The book is well written, flows, and easy reading. I don't read a whole lot (other than technical and scientific books) and I enjoy non-fiction rather than fiction. This is a book that is helping me with my career as I move towards retirement in the next 10 years or so. Very helpful. Very good book. I would recommend if you need a little help with your career direction.
333469
Turning a popular clich on its head, "Fire Your Boss" (HarperResource, 2004) by Stephen Pollan and Mark Levine encourages readers to instead "Work For The Money, The Love Will Follow." Additional unconventional insights include thinking of your work as a job and not a career, making compensation the number one decision driver in job selection, and intentionally not looking for personal satisfaction in one's work (because you won't find it there!).

When I read the above, it sounds like this book is cynical and downbeat. Actually, it is refreshing and liberating. It empowers people to take control of their work lives, to stop using work as an excuse or a substitute for not have a personal life, and to acknowledge the importance of economic security.

I am a big fan of the career development/ self-improvement genre, and I thoroughly believe in following your passion and leading an authentic life. This book is at the top of my recommended reading list because it doesn't contradict that; in fact it supports it more than many of the career books out there today. The checklist offered for considering job offers is comprehensive and spot on. The anecdotes of people who have used the Fire Your Boss philosophy are compelling and practical. If you embrace the philosophy espoused in this book, it will actually be easier to find passion and authenticity in your life. "Fire Your Boss" ultimately is about how working is just one part of what you do, not all of it. In that way, this book is less about work and more about life.
59489
I highly recommend this book.  I believe this book has all the information you need to find your career.  It was able to gear me towards taking action and writing all the wrong methods I have used and replaced them with the write ones.  Alysse makes looking for a job or career fun and exciting and was able to implement her techniques and advice in my life and have successful results.
Make sure to read this twice, it's that good!!
686808
JEFF PERLMAN DOES A REAL NICE JOB WITH THIS BOOK. I DID NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT CLEMENS PERSONALLY BEFORE I READ THIS. NOW I KNOW I WOULD NOT WANT TO KNOW HIM PERSONALLY. BEING AN INDIANS FAN FOR MY WHOLE LIFE, I HAVE SEEN HIM PITCH MANY TIMES AND DEFEATED THE TRIBE MOST TIMES. I NEVER DID LIKE HIS HEAD HUNTING TACTICS BUT I DID RESPECT HIS ENORMOUS TALENT. THE ROCKET WAS ONE OF THE BEST POWER PITCHERS OF THE 80'S AND 90'S. HE WAS AROGANT, SELF CENTERED AND FULL OF MANY THINGS MOSTLY HIMSELF. JEFF PERLMAN GIVES THE READER SOME OF THE BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THE ROCKET BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD. CLEMENS HAD A GREAT WORK ETHIC BUT TOOK ON THE ARROGANT PERSONALITY HIS BIG AND TROUBLED BROTHER ADVISED HIM TO. CLEMENS STARTED TO SLIP TOWARDS THE LATE 90'S AND HIS SUPER SIZED EGO WHICH CRAVED ATTENTION WAS FED WITH STEROIDS AND GROWTH HORMONES. THIS REJUVENATED HIS CAREER TO THE POINT THAT IDIOTS LIKE STEINBRENNER PAID RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY FOR HIS SERVICES. AFTER READING THIS BOOK I WOULD THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE REALLY LOATHE CLEMENS. HE IS OUTRAGEIOUSLY GREEDY, A CHEATER IN SPORTS, A CHEATER ON HIS WIFE AND JUST A PLAIN FAT A__ LIAR. NOW HIS INSISTENCE THAT HE DIDN'T USE ROIDS HAS OPENED UP MANY DOORS IN HIS PAST LIFE AND THE TRUTH IS VERY UGLY. I HOPE HE IS FOUND GUILTY AND SERVES PRISON TIME. HE HAS BEEN SO PAMPERED AND RECEIVED SO MUCH ATTENTION THAT IT IS TIME FOR HIM TO GET HIS.