Lesley S. reviewed on 10/17/2009 + 50 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

As a rule, I avoid Self Help books, especially those awful and illiterate how-to-get-ahead-in-business ones, but this little book proved surprisingly engaging. After all, how often do you get to hang out with the publisher of Hearst magazines?

Although Cathie Black's writing style lends itself more to crafting memos than telling tales, what I found so interesting were her stories from the Front: use-it-now practical advice (eg. how to know when criticism is valid and when to ignore it & soldier on); anecdotes about taking risks and succeeding (the pitch and launch of CosmoGirl; convincing Oprah to launch her magazine); and examples of bad decisions. The failures were especially good, in particular the expensive, buzz-drench launch and equally spectacular fizzle of Talk magazine. Without being a firebrand feminist, the author doles out practical advice for women about how to be assertive without being obnoxious, why you must present well, and the importance of accepting your due (accolades; a personally-satisfying job; compensation).

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details