Book review: The Project 50 (Reinventing Work)

I’ve almost made it a hobby to read career improvement and self-help books, and I’ve found some of Tom Peter’s ‘50’ books to be some of  the most useful. Although they look like they’re written and laid out by someone who was dropping massive quantities of speed, the ‘50’ series of books are packed with some good information. Although written 1999, most of the information presented in the books is still good. For creating and managing IPCs, The Project 50 (Reinventing Work) is the most pertinent of the series.

The Project 50 is a book of 50 action items to take when developing, selling, implementing and finally exiting your project. Or as Peter’s puts it, your ‘WOW!’ projects. Although I get the impression this book is directed at IT professionals, most of the information can be ported to conceptualizing and creating an IPC. Your ‘WOW’ project is the IPC that you’re creating.  The information that he writes about, particularly with creating, selling and exiting the project relates to IPCs for the most part. The implementation section probably isn’t as useful for IPC purposes, but is worth a read through anyway.

Conclusion
If you can get over the layout and high-energy writing, Project 50 is an inexpensive ideas book for getting your IPC moving forward. I recommend reading it through for IPC and career ideas. As of this post, Amazon has it in stock for around $5-6 US dollars.

Book review: The Club Woman's Handybook of Programs and Club Management

The Club Woman's Handybook of Programs and Club Management by Kate Louise Roberts is an broad compendium of useful information, but not exactly as the title suggests.

The Handybook was written in 1914 as a guide for women who wanted to create and manage local women's clubs. These clubs seemed to be very salon-like in how they operated, and the programs they offered. The book itself gives little practical how-to advice on how to run a club,  rather it's more a suggestion book and glossary of terms. The books is roughly divvied up into two parts, programs and parliamentary procedure. The programming portion throws out ideas for the club to discuss. These topics range from domestic affairs to history to current affairs to feminism.  The goal of the club was to elevate women's awareness. If the programming section is any indication, they were positively ambitious. I speculate an ulterior motive for the clubs and the book were created to prepare women for the suffrage movements that had been gaining traction at the time.

In our more modern times, and in the context of the IPC, the Handybook has become another kind of resource. While most of the club information the book is dated or very basic, the programs portion of the book gives you loads of  ideas for salons, and points to even different types of IPCs that you can choose to develop. The subject matter is still relevant in many instances, although I will give a word of warning that it tens to touch lightly on certain now controversial topics like eugenics. Otherwise, the Club Woman's Handybook is a worthy resource for IPC managers.

Book review: How to Talk to Anyone; 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships

How to Talk to Anyone; 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships by Leil Lowndes is a solid book in the realm of self-help writing. She comes from the perspective of offering actionable advice. For the most part, she delivers sound advice. If you’ve read other self-help books, some of her advice will be familiar, albeit couched in a way you can use in real life. Also, the book’s tips covers many situations you’ll eventually find yourself dealing with. Information-wise, How to Talk to Anyone is a value, if not an investment.

In an IPC setting, How to Talk to Anyone is handy. It can be used for handling people and building relationships. While some of the tips may not relate directly, there some gems that you can consider using to improve your organizing and hosting game. In aspect, this book is an investment just for its IPC value.

The only real downsides to How to Talk to Anyone is the sheer volume of tips. I listened to this as an audio book, so its use will be limited to me, unless I buy a physical or electronic version where I can use it more effectively as a reference. Bear that in mind before you buy the audio version. The other downside is that some of the information is ages-old self-help advice, so you’re not getting a completely new list of tips. Admittedly, this is me looking for faults in the book, and you can easily gloss over the information you’re already using or doesn’t pertain to your situation.

I recommend this book, particularly if you want to limit your foray into the self-help genre, but have a reference of pertinent information you can use immediately.

Book Review: Saturday Salon: Bringing Conversation and Community Back Into Our Lives

If you want a comprehensive how-to on conducting a Salon, Saturday Salon is a great resource. Although written in 2010, it's still fresh for the most pat, and conveys everything you need to know about starting up a Salon. The author, Valerie Davisson, draws from her own experiences to give you everything you need to know about planning and executing a top-notch Salon experience. She also includes a chapter about pot-luck recipes, and a list of topics or as she labels the chapter, "The Topic Well" if you need further guidance on hosting your Salon. Saturday Salon's subject matter is well rounded and the book is an easy read.

Within the framework of an IPC, the information in this book is mostly relevant with some minor tweaking. Ms. Davisson seems to define her Salons as very informal affairs, almost with an air of a coffeehouse conversation group. Even so, Saturday Salon is an indispensable reference for planning your next Salon.

More resources:
You can find Saturday Salon: Bringing Conversation and Community Back Into Our Lives on Amazon.
Valerie Davisson also has a website, The Saturday Salon.