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Book Review
From: Sheryl Swingley, a faculty mentor for "The Creation of a News Package"
I teach a professional development seminar in the Department of Journalism, and the following books are among the resources I recommend to students interested in developing their business communications skills.
–The Complete Idiot's Guide to Business Etiquette, Mary Mitchell with John Corr
–The Complete Idiot's Guide to Terrific Business Writing, Marcia Layton
–How to Work a Room: The Ultimate Guide to Savvy Socializing in Person and Online, Susan RoAne
–What Do I Say Next? Susan RoAne
–The Critical 14 Years of Your Professional Life, Robert L. Dilenschneider with Mary Jane Genova
–How Would You Move Mount Fuji?: Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle--How the World's Smartest Companies Select the Most Creative Thinkers, William Poundstone
The first two books are not meant to insult your intelligence. I like the "Idiot's" series of books for two reasons. First, they make good points quickly. A Ball State graduate has played a role in doing publicity and promotional work for these books. I like to see Ball State alumni succeed so I buy "Idiot's" books.
Some of the students in the public relations classes I have taught have elected to read RoAne's How to Work a Room to meet their book review requirement. Their book reviews have told me that this book is worth reading and valuable for their use as college students and future professionals. I have consulted this book as well as RoAne's What Do I Say Next? for tips to share with students in my professional development seminar. They have been excellent resources for the information I needed.
The Critical 14 Years of Your Professional Life offers great career advice to young people on how to establish a strong foundation for a productive life-long career. Dilenschneider is a leading public relations executive and owns his own agency in New York City. He has been a visitor at Ball State. In 1991, he delivered the prestigious Vernon C. Schranz Distinguished Lectureship in Public Relations, which the Department of Journalism has sponsored since1979. His book, however, has nothing to do with public relations. It's great career advice.
A student in a section of my professional development seminar gave the final book on my list, How Would You Move Mount Fuji?: Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzl --How the World's Smartest Companies Select the Most Creative Thinkers, a rave review. I haven't spent as much time with this book as the other books on my list, but I gave it to my son, who graduated from college in 2004, and he concurred that it was an interesting book and worth reading. The book is designed to make you think differently about job interviews and might help you come up with new strategies to distinguish yourself from others competing for the same opportunities.
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