A few months ago I reviewed Thom Singer’s Some Assemby Required book on networking. He told me he was working on another one and I was excited to get it. I confess that this is only the third networking book I’ve ever read, so I can’t do a comparison with stuff that’s out there.
But it doesn’t matter. I’m not reading these books for a PhD project – I’m reading them to help shape my perception of what networking really is. And this latest book, The ABC’s of Networking, does an excellent job at shaping my perception on networking.
Thom intentionally made this book small, “an airplane read.” The format for this book is to represent each letter of the alphabet with a word to make his case. So it starts off with Attitude, Brand, Creativity, Determination, Evangelist, Follow up, etc.
I love how Thom talks about career management throughout the book. I can’t recall if he says the term “career management” but in some of the topics (such as Brand) are huge topics in career management. And in almost every topic he mentions stuff that I wouldn’t expect to find in a networking book, but he gives a “how networking fits into your life and/or career” perspective. Excellent.
XYZ is all summed up into one topic (I can’t say what it is, but it’s an excellent and appropriate ending).
Actually, it’s not the ending. Thom gives a few more little chapters that I call the bonus.
Party Time! is about hosting or throwing a successful networking party.
Cough on Everyone is about how to spread viral messages.
he includes a few more bonus chapters:
- Do it Anyway
- 41 Things I’ve Learned By 40
- Selling out of Town
- Starbucks Nation
- Networking Quotient
The book is just $12.95 – whether you’ve read lots of books on networking or this is your first one, I strongly recommend it. And for that price, get a few – you probably know some people (isn’t graduation coming up?) that can really benefit from Thom’s book.
Here’s another book review by Silvia L. Coulter, Managing Director, CoulterCranston, Inc. in Manchester, MA
“41 Things I’ve Learned By 40″…hmm… sounds intriguing. I just might have to pick it up!