Professional Networking: How to Get Started, How to Succeed

Professional Networking: How to Get Started, How to Succeed has been published! Written by Michael Murray, in partnership with Angel as writing assistant and editor, this book is the first in a series by the President of CONTROL-POINTE, Inc.™

LEARN THE TOOLS & TECHNIQUES YOU NEED

TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN A SUCCESSFUL

PROFESSIONAL NETWORK

The ability to effectively network is one of the most critical areas of career management. Through social, family, professional, and technological networks we interact with a wide variety of people, and exchange vast quantities of information every day. By learning to harness the power of networking we can increase our ability to make decisions, find opportunities, and build relationships that help facilitate successful career management.

Professional Networking: How to Get Started, How to Succeed is the first book in the Career-Pointes™ series, which aims to provide clear, concise, and easily accessible information to help you move toward your personal and career goals. Without overwhelming the reader, this guide provides the essential principles of networking that will be useful for people at any stage in their career and with any level of networking experience, regardless of their networking goals.

Praise for Professional Networking: How to Get Started, How to Succeed

"... a great resource for those who are curious about this thing called networking.

... a great resource for those who realize networking is a critical part of career management or job search and they don't know how to get started."

Val Markos, Ph.D. - Organizational Psychology
VMark Consulting

Q & A (Slumdog Millionaire)

Title: Q & A (Slumdog Millionaire)

Author: Vikas Swarup

ISBN: 0743267486, 9780743267489

Publication: August 12, 2008

Q&A is the first selection of the Leaves in Sheaves book club! When Steph (the co-organizer of our club) suggested it, I was immediately a little skeptical. I haven't seen the movie, but I tend to dislike allot of the movies that get rave reviews. Thinking that this would be the case with the movie Slumdog Millionaire, I erroneously judged the book to be a little - cheap. Boy was I surprised when I started reading! I guess I should have known not to judge a book by it's cover!

The author, Vikas Swarup, takes us on a fast paced journey through the life of an 18 year old young man. The story is in turns tragic and uplifting. From the very first page the characters grab your attention and will not let go. This is one of those perfect stories where you close the book and immediately feel a sense of loss; I will miss the people I met in this narrative.

What strikes me most about this novel is the way so much life is packed into such a tiny package! Through Q&A we experience the extremes of poverty and wealth in a society that has a rigid hierarchical class system. We delve into topics as diverse as gambling and religion. We feel the tension of a community struggling to come to grips with a cultural revolution that's been decades in the making. The narrative is perfectly paced to allow the reader to experience the wide array of settings and circumstances.

In addition to the dynamic plot, the character development is astounding. Swarup manages to quickly insert characters with such depth and dimension that the reader can't help but accept them.

Q&A is one of those books that you just have to read. Even people who don't usually like to read would probably enjoy this book. It has a great balance of action, romance, drama, suspense, and even a little mystery. There are a plenty of twists in the plot to keep even the most wandering minds engaged. Not only does Q&A get 5 stars from me - I think it might even be one of my top-five favorite books!

The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-six

Title: The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-six
Author: Jonathan Keats
ISBN: 0812978978, 9780812978971
Publication: Random House, 10 February 2009

I obtained an Advance Reader's copy of this book, which will be published this week! I'm really excited about it, and think it will be an instant success. The Book of the Unknown combines elements of history, faith, and folklore to create a narrative that's engaging and insightful.

The Book of the Unknown is based on a fascinating concept called the "lamed vov" or the "thirty-six" stating that there is a minimum of 36 righteous individuals living in the world at all times. This Jewish tradition comes from the Talmud, and may have origins in Genesis. Basically, the book is a collection of short stories depicting the lives of a few of the 36 at one point in time. (You can learn more about the Lamed Vov here: http://www.neveshalom.org/html/arts/art_gallery_legend36.htm)

The author gives us a foundational story about a man, John Katz, who finds a manuscript during an archeological dig and holds onto it for many years. The manuscript is a list of his contemporary 36, written by a Kabbalist and buried after his death. Jon Katz begins researching the names on the list, and has combined 12 of their stories for us to enjoy.

What strikes me about the stories are the seemingly degenerate nature of these righteous people. In fact, one of them isn't even human! The author introduces us to a golum (a woman made of mud and brought to life using magic) as one of the lamed vov. Others include at thief, a clown, a negligent sin-eater and an adulterer.

This fascinating fictional account is entertaining, solidly written, and hopeful. I highly recommend this book, and think it would make an excellent gift as well!