Earlier this year, I decided that I was going to take a break from my normal fiction books (unless a new one from my favorite author came out) and read only non-fiction self-help and business books. I’ve surprised myself because with the exception of school books, I’ve actually done it.
I thought I’d share a couple of the books that I enjoyed and think people might want to read.
First up, “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers” by Dr. Lois Frankel. One of my favorite bloggers, Demetria Lucas, speaks about the book often when she answers Formspring questions and provides advice to people. She’s a life coach so it made since when she suggested it and it piqued my interest. The book provides common mistakes that women make in the office and how to avoid/correct them.
I found the book extremely helpful and I’ve started to implement a few of the ideas. There were mistakes that I didn’t even consider mistakes before reading the book that I was able to correct. One mistake that I notice I do and have tried to correct is Mistake 56: Couching Statements as Questions. Those are the “maybe we should…” or “what do you think about…” statements that make good ideas seem shaky. I’ve done this quite a bit before. Frankel gives tips on how to turn those questions back to assertive statements so that you can communicate ideas properly and give them the validation they deserve.
I think that any young woman should give it a read.
The second one is “If You Have to Cry, Go Outside…And Other Things Your Mother
Never Told You” by Kelly Cutrone. Cutrone is the tough-as-nails president of the infamous fashion PR firm People’s Revolution. I’ve seen TV shows with Cutrone and I was familiar with her harsh style of business and life. I liked it. It’s actually a bit like me so I thought I’d enjoy her book. It’s a memoir of sorts that tells how she went from being a party promoter underachiever to heading the large bi-coastal firm. She also includes tips on how to make it ahead in business. The “If you have to cry, go outside” comes from a rule she’s set at her office. If a girl has a breakdown at work, whether it be personal issues or job-related, she has to take it outside. The office doesn’t have time for tears. Sometimes, the world, doesn’t have time for tears. If you can’t pull it together, go outside and break down, then come back inside when you have pulled it together. She’s a bit extreme and at times rude in her approach (you’ve got to hear her to believe it) but it’s needed sometimes.
P.S. I read “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert back in 2008 and loved it. If you’ve been living under a rock and didn’t see the movie with Julia Roberts, go pick it up! It’s a great read with life lessons on self-help.
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