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"Useful ideas for improving your life..." 2005-03-06
By Thomas Duff (Portland, OR United States)
Regardless of how old you are and how long you've worked, you can always learn new tools to make you more effective in life. A book that can add to your learning is It's Your Move - Dealing Yourself the Best Cards in Life and Work by Cyndi Maxey and Jill Bremer (Prentice Hall).
The general design of the book and plan is a series of 52 techniques, or "cards", that you can play in your life in order to improve your effectiveness in life. The techniques are grouped into a number of sets: preparation, attitude, visibility, style, presentation, listening, learning, balance, and flexibility. At the end of each chapter, you are instructed to "draw" one of the cards and start to apply it to your life. By not being able to pick and choose what you want to do, you are forced to examine possibilities that you may shy away from if given your choice.
If you've read books of this genre before, you'll recognize a number of the techniques... take risks, set goals, etc. But regardless of how many you've heard before, all it takes is one new idea to propel you forward. Maxey and Bremer have an easy style of writing that makes it simple to understand and incorporate the idea into your life. They also use actual personal stories to help the reader relate to the technique. All good stuff...
Worth reading if you're looking to make a change in your life...
"Good Messages in a Confusing Flow" 2004-04-12
By Roger E. Herman (Greensboro, NC USA)
Although classified as a Business book, this title is really a self-help book. It was confusing for me as a reader, possibly based on my expectations.Based on the subtitle of the book, I expected that I might see a card deck kind of format clearly presented. I imagined perhaps 52 great ideas that I could use to build my effectiveness. The fan of playing cards on the book cover reinforced that expectation. When I finally got past the pages of the publisher's advertising to reach the table of contents, I found that there were nine "hands," an introduction, a preparatory chapter, and a conclusion. Each hand (examples: attitude, visibility, style, listening, learning) in the table of contents has categories that highlight information and advice that would be helpful for anyone looking for some self-improvement help. There are graphics of success cards at the end of each chapter, but the graphics were not emphasized as well as they could be in the chapters. This is a design issue, rather than content, but the design affects the readability of the book.
Some "players" are introduced in the first chapter, representing composites of readers. The idea here, I believe, is that readers would be able to identify with these characters as they move through the book. These characters do stay with us through the book, but an army of other people pop in and out as examples in various vignettes. This parallel theme confused me as I was trying to follow the players and all the valuable advice being offered by the authors. The result of all these themes, a large number of call-out boxes, and a sans serif typeface made this book seem overly complicated.
Unquestionably, there is a lot of valuable advice in these pages, but be prepared to separate the book you'd like to read from the others that seem to be interwoven with it. The index, which appears just before the closing advertisements from the Financial Times, is helpful. The conclusion includes a survey with check-boxes that will enable the reader to focus on next-steps.
"Make Your Move" 2003-12-01
By Sheila F. Edens (Chicago, IL United States)
I loved everything about this book. I particularly enjoyed the card deck. I was unable to put the book down once I got into it. I spent a weekend in a hotel room with this book and a notebook charting my next move in all areas of my life.It's Your Move inspired me and got me up and moving. This book is a roadmap for anyone that is serious about going to the next level in their life.
"Not just another self-help book" 2003-11-25
By Rebecca Ellis (Glen Carbon, IL USA)
I've read quite a few self-help and business how-to books, and usually they are good for an idea or two. This one goes way beyond that, however. It has more helpful concrete information per square inch than any other business book I've read. I assumed I'd read this, then pass it along or resell it -- but no way! I'm keepin' this puppy. (Buy your own!)
If you want a reality check about the image you project at work, or some ideas about how to break the ice with the boss, or you need to figure out why your ideas just never seem to get the response you'd like at meetings, this book is definitely for you. It doesn't just tell you what to do; it describes a few ways to go about it, describes how each way might be perceived, and then walks you through some practical examples of how to go about trying something new. I was surprised at how much information the authors included on topics that I hadn't considered much but that, by gosh, really do matter. A lot. This book comes at a topic from all different angles, and gives you quick fixes, easy things to do that are very effective, and also things you can (if you choose) build on if it's something that matters a lot to you. It is extremely thorough, in an easy-to-read way. For example, I've never really paid serious attention to clothes. I have the requisite business attire and know the "rules" -- nothing flashy, good tailoring. But I was fascinated by the discussion of color, different levels of business dress from formal to casual and what really differentiates each level (the unspoken rules that, yes, really do matter), a detailed and intimate talk about details you thought you could only count on a close friend for (bad breath and what really works and what doesn't, taking basic care of your fingernails), and a marvelously sensible talk about how to take care of different fabrics ("Between cleanings, wool garments should be hung out overnight before being put back in a closet. Wool is a resilient fabric and will return to its natural shape if allowed to breathe."). I found myself approaching my closet with new respect.
This is one of only a very few self-help/business books I've ever read that actually resulted in my changing something. And it was easy. I can count at least 4 things I changed immediately, with little effort, after reading this the first time. The chapters on increasing your visibility (hard for us shy types) and attitude and style are worth their weight in gold. The book is very useful as a reference you can go back to for ideas, and for ways to rethink a situation.
This one's a keeper.
"Learning how life REALLY is.." 2003-11-23
By Debra Monserrate (Rio Piedras, PR United States)
This book was a real eye opener for me in many ways. It's down-to-earth format makes it easy and interesting to read. Within the 253 pages you learn how to enrich your personal,professional,financial and emotional strengths and how to vastly improve your weaknesses. It puts into words and organizes how to deal with almost any challenge one can confront in life and how to succeed and win at the same time. It makes sense! It's a blueprint to becoming or remaining proactive,powerful and self confident.
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