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The Daily News--Book talk on paper.li

Friday, December 30, 2016

The Fishy Business Handbook for Mermaids

The Fishy Business Handbook for MermaidsThe Fishy Business Handbook for Mermaids by Raina Mermaid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full disclosure: I helped Raina edit this book. My name is listed in the book.

This is Raina's third book about being a professional mermaid. This book is more of a workbook than the other two. It is designed to be read in conjunction with the other two, as it references them frequently.

She addresses several issues she avoided in the first two books. One is mermaids who take advantage of you, or act inappropriately. Between the writing of the secondam and third book, she had to fire one of her mermaids for acting inappropriately. The key is to be firm. The second is working with kids. Some people shouldn't work with kids.

The book also includes pictures of how to get in a mermaid tail, and how to pick up a mermaid in a tail. It includes samples of contracts and media communications. Some of this information can be adapted to other businesses as well. An excellent book, along with the others, for anyone looking to be a professional mermaid. With Disney's scheduled release of a live-action Little Mermaid next year, there will be a lot more interest in mermaids. These books will be there to help.

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Monday, December 26, 2016

Mastering Civility

Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the WorkplaceMastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace by Christine Porath
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Everyone wants civility in the workplace. People want to be treated fairly. The author makes the case that civility is good for the bottom line, and can make the workplace better. There are several tests in the book to determine how civil you are.

The book sounds like a lot of others I've read. It's good as far as it goes, but there are some things missing. For example, she recommends that employers ask prospective employees, "What would former employers say about you?" In many cases, the answer is, "They will only confirm dates of employment." Thanks to lawsuits, many employers are skittish about saying anything beyond that. Most companies won't go the trouble of deeper investigation.

Another area that doesn't go that far is in her chapter on what if incivility happens to you. Her advice is to focus on yourself and your situation. That's fine as far as it goes, but it doesn't address the situation when the incivility raises to discrimination or harassment. That requires focus on eliminating the problem, rather than simply focusing on yourself. That area was missing.

A minor issue. She uses Pete Carroll, coach of the Seattle Seahawks, as an example of civility in the NFL. After he left USC, the NCAA found significant recruiting violations had occurred during his time there. USC had to vacate several wins, including a national championship, and lost several scholarships. Reggie Bush gave back his Heisman Trophy. There was a sense that Pete Carroll got out of Dodge before the hammer fell. I don't think that was a good example.

Overall, a good book, just not complete.

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Sunday, December 25, 2016

Saturday, December 17, 2016

World Almanac 2017

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2017The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2017 by Sarah Janssen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I get a copy of this every year. It's a good reference book. It lists a lot of historical data and current events information. Obviously, things are described in a nutshell, because of space limitations, but it is a good starting point. As a writer, I use this to see if what I'm saying has any semblance of truth. When you write fiction, you can make things up, but they sound more believable if there is some basis in fact. Later editions include pictures of the prior year's events. This was published in mid-November, shortly after the elections, so anything after that is not included. It's a great book. You don't usually read it cover to cover, but it has something for everyone.

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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Operation Mermaid giveaway.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Operation Mermaid by Joseph McGarry

Operation Mermaid

by Joseph McGarry

Giveaway ends December 31, 2016.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Sunday, December 4, 2016

You're A Leader, Charlie Brown

You're a Leader, Charlie BrownYou're a Leader, Charlie Brown by Carla Curtsinger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, a bullet point rang out!

I can imagine Snoopy being told to write a business book, and sitting on top of his doghouse writing this. I grew up with Peanuts. I've also read a lot of business books. This is the first time I've seen them together. It seems an odd combination. Charlie Brown was described as "wishy-washy" in the comics. How could he be a leader?

The book uses not only Charlie Brown, but also a lot of the other characters, such as Linus, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, even Snoopy. It is sprinkled with classic Peanuts cartoons and illustrations. There is a helpful summary of the bullet points at the end of the book. A lot of them are ones that have appeared elsewhere. Some of them are "Learn from failures." "Know what kind of leader you are." "Write in a concise but conversational style." (Although, if anyone starts any memos or reports with, "It was a dark and stormy night," they picked up the wrong message.)

It's a short read. That can actually help business readers, since they won't worry about a lot of details. I also liked the cartoons. Very enjoyable, which you rarely hear about business books.

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