I was skiing at Mont-Tremblant in Quebec just three days before the ski accident that lead to the tragic death late Wednesday of actress Natasha Richardson.
I did not see Richardson, or recognize anyone famous at the gorgeous village nestled in the Laurentian mountains, about two hours north of Montreal. I practiced my limited French on the Quebecois folks I met there, and skied (without incident) six exhausting yet jubilant hours with my French-Canadian friends Lorraine and Peter down the slopes of Tremblant.
It was my first ski trip to Canada and I hope not my last. Mont-Tremblant and the two smaller hills I visited later in the weekend were spectacular. Incidentally, this was the first season during which I wore a ski helmet, which I purchased last year at the vocal urgings (inspired by my sister!) of my 7- and 9-year-old nieces — both of whom are always helmeted on the slopes.
I wonder if a helmet would have saved poor Richardson. The accounts on the newswire about her mishap acknowledge only a head injury with a deadly delayed reaction.
I’ve been a skier for 27 years (of my 36). I was a member of a race team through my junior high and high school years and later worked as a ski instructor and race coach at two Pa. ski areas. I can say without question — and I have the scars to prove it — it’s a dangerous sport.
My damage resume: Concussion, age 13; partial MCL and meniscal tear, left knee, 16; ACL complete tear, right knee, 17.
So why do I keep going back up that chairlift?
Skiing is my sport; The one thing I feel I do with complete grace (all injuries aside, that is). And when you’re piloting yourself down a mountain, there is no yesterday and no tomorrow. No taxes to finish, no ringing phone to answer, no weight of the world. You are living entirely in the clean, clear present. Your only purpose is to find the best line, or path, through the conditions at hand.
My dad once said to me I was only happy on the top of a mountain (the point being, I guess, that the converse is sometimes true). It certainly does improve my mood to be perched on the top of a mountain, be it on skis or in hiking boots!
As for Tremblant, there's a local connection. Mont-Tremblant, according to the Frommer’s guide I purchased for my trip, was built by Philadelphia millionaire Joe Ryan in 1939 and is one of the oldest ski resorts in North America. Mont-Tremblant’s vertical drop of 2,133 feet is twice that of our own Blue Mountain (1,082 feet) and more than four times that of Bear Creek (510 feet), by comparison. Coming from someone who's skied a few of Colorado's finest Rockies, that’s pretty high, and is some of the best skiing in the east - if not THE best. I'd rank it up there.
Richardson’s husband, actor Liam Neeson, had been working on a project in nearby Montreal. We can only imagine that she decided to take some time at a nearby world class resort to learn to ski, as she was in a beginner’s lesson at Tremblant when her initial fall happened.
Of course I didn’t know the actress, but I feel for her two young sons, and the family that rushed to her bedside after she was transferred to a Manhattan hospital, where she eventually died.
Her death is the talk of our newsroom, exacerbated perhaps by the fact that I was skiing at the same resort where she had her ill-fated spill.
When I was done skiing on my day at Tremblant, just a few days prior to Richardson's accident, I set off with my equipment in hand down the picturesque cobblestone streets of Tremblant. I was wondering if I could make the walk back to the hotel in my leaden ski boots as my knees screamed, and I said a little prayer of thanks for that injury-free day.
Thank God I didn’t wreck myself.
When can I go back?

Reviewed: “Dealing with Difficult People,” from The Results-Driven Manager series, Harvard Business School Press, 2005, $14.95, 139 pages.


Managing conflict at work is kind of like Kenny Rogers says in “The Gambler”: “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em. Know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away, and know when to run.”

Learning what to do — as a manager — during disputes in the workplace is the topic of “Dealing with Difficult People,” a tidy little collection of articles from the “Harvard Management Update” and the “Harvard Management Communication Letter.”

Full of short and to-the-point articles and helpful suggestions, the slim book is a guide for senior to middle managers for dealing with difficult employees. It offers useful information for management types as well as anyone who needs to brush up on conflict resolution in the workplace.

As someone who avoids conflict like the plague, I particularly enjoyed the chapter called “Don’t Just Do Something — Sit There.”

“If a dispute doesn’t interfere with an employee’s performance, does not disrupt the work environment, and is not a violation of company policy, then ‘benign neglect’ is probably a suitable approach for a manager,” said David Lipsky, director of the Institute of Conflict Resolution at Cornell University.

Managers should look at such situations as “an opportunity for your staff members to develop their problem-solving skills.”However, the book notes, there are certain situations in which a manager should definitely intervene:

•When the disagreement is between an assertive employee and a timid, less vocal person.

•When an argument between two employees has broadened to encompass additional staff members.

•When the conflict involves illegal conduct, such as sexual harassment or civil rights violations.

However, the laissez-faire approach to management isn’t always the best tack, per the chapter “Don’t Avoid Conflicts — Manage Them”

“Ducking conflict,” Monci J. Williams, author of the chapter, advises, “may actually make it harder for us to achieve our goals.”Managers, when they see a conflict brewing, “may notice that both parties repeatedly assert their own needs and wishes, and tell each other why the other guy is wrong. The experts call this the ‘attack/defend spiral,’ and it’s where most of us flame out.”

The solution, according to the Harvard experts, is to use “neutral ‘opening’ and ‘informing’ statements to encourage the other person to open up. Comments such as ‘I know we’ve both been very concerned about X, but I also know that Y is very important to you; I’d like to understand that better’ encourage the other person to talk about her concerns and wants.”

(But doesn’t that take for granted a civilized and polite workplace?)

Also noted is “When to Walk Away from a Fight,” in a chapter written by Rebecca M. Saunders.

During a work-related argument, “If the other person is fidgeting, leaning forward, or shaking a finger in your face, then back off politely,” Saunders writes. “If both parties insist they are right and refuse to back down, the cost can be high — angry words and hard feelings that never go away can make the workplace unpleasant for everyone.”

It’s important to “take a breath and decide if it’s worth escalating or not,” she said.

And, like “The Gambler” says, “Now every gambler knows that the secret to survivin’ is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep.”Remember to play your cards right when dealing with difficult folks at work.

I love a good poker metaphor.

If you're like me, you can't walk through the doors of a bookstore without 1) spending hours perusing the stacks and 2) spending money you didn't actually have. (usually at least $30, in my case).

Here in the editorial offices of The Mercury (I make it sound grand, don't I?) editor Nancy March, author of The Daily Overload, had the idea to bring in some of her recently read books and magazines and start a lending library. Other readers in the office, including myself, have contributed, and I've been picking great books from there ever since. A great way to save money! When the books have been in the "library" a long time, we will cart them over to Gently Used Books in Douglassville. (Another great place to save money and find great books locally, as is the Pottstown Public Library).

Below is an interesting "On the Money" column from the Associated Press about saving some money on books. I usually run this weekly column on the print side, but it got bumped with all the craziness on Wall St. in the past two weeks. But saving money is always timely. And saving money on books rocks!

Read on for more ways to budget your reading habit:

Beyond the library: 6 ways readers can cut costs
By Candice Choi
AP Business Writer
NEW YORK — One budget line Wendy Li isn’t watching even in this tight economy is her spending on books. That’s because she uses PaperbackSwap.com, one of the book trading sites that are growing in popularity.
“All I have to pay for is the postage,” said Li, a 44-year-old banker in New York City. A diet of three books a month costs her only about $6, clearly a bargain for an avid reader.
Whether it’s trading titles, downloading e-books or tapping discounts at major retailers, borrowing from the library isn’t the only way readers can cut costs.
Here are five ways to ensure your love of reading doesn’t become a casualty to high food and gas prices.
Start Swapping: If you’ve got books to barter, check out sites such as PaperbackSwap.com, Bookins.com and BookMooch.com.
The rules are simple; generally you list the books you’re willing to trade. Every time you mail a title out, you get a credit or point, which you can redeem for a book. At PaperbackSwap.com, which currently lists 2.4 million books, you can also purchase credits for $3.45.
Membership is free on all three sites, so your only cost is shipping. Mailing a paperback at the lowest rate typically takes around seven days and generally costs less than $3. After you get a book, it’s yours to keep if you wish.
One drawback to these sites is that new or rare titles may be hard to find. Also, because you’re trading with strangers, you won’t get the same guarantees as with a retailer. But the sites may be able to help mediate a dispute, or award credits for lost damage.
Bookins.com, for example, promises to refund shipping charges and award credits if you don’t get the books you were promised. However, there aren’t any guarantees at BookMooch.com or PaperbackSwap.com, which, despite its name, also lists hardcovers, CDs and DVDs.
Kelly Fowler, a member of the site for two years, said she once agreed to swap three books with a member in a discussion forum. Yet after mailing out her box, she never received the books she was promised.
Fowler, a 38-year-old homemaker in Clinton, Tenn., notified administrators and said the member was immediately banned. She never got her books back, but she said it’s only happened once in the more than 300 swaps she’s made to feed her love of harlequin and romance novels.
For a more unusual approach to trading books, there’s BookCrossing.com. The idea is to leave books in public places — in an airport lounge, on a park bench — and let people find them. Users log onto the site to note where they “released” the book. For instance, someone recently posted that they left a copy of “The Nanny Diaries” at a Starbucks in the Kingsview Village Shopping Center in Germantown, Md.
Users can search for books by city, type of venue (such as museums, coffee shops) or title. This may be a little too whimsical for some, but it does save the cost of postage.
Buy Smart at Major Retailers: If you’re ordering a book online, remember to compare prices at major retailers. On Amazon.com, for example, a new paperback copy of the best-seller “Eat, Pray, Love” was listed for $9, compared to $10.50 at Borders.com and $13.50 for nonmembers at BarnesandNoble.com.
What’s more, all three retailers and eBay.com also offer used copies through third-party sellers. Borders recently listed used paperback copies of “Eat, Pray, Love” at prices ranging from $4.44 to $15.75. Sellers are typically authorized by the retailer, but be sure to check each site’s guarantee policies on quality and returns. You can also view customer ratings and comments on third-party sellers.
Plus you’ll want to check to see if there are any deals advertised for shipping, or membership programs that may offer regular discounts.
Go Electronic: With the help of volunteers, the nonprofit Project Gutenberg compiles e-books and offers 25,000 free titles at www.gutenberg.org. The catalog includes fiction, nonfiction and reference books no longer protected by copyright.
DailyLit.com sends serialized books via e-mail. You can set the time it arrives in your inbox and adjust the size of how much text you want in each installment.
The site has 650 free classics and 350 additional titles ranging in price from $1.49 to $9.99.
Hit the Pavement: Trade-in your unwanted books at a used book store. Most used book stores don’t pay much, but you might get a better deal in store credits.
Set aside some time to browse the shelves. They may not be as tidy or well organized as at a major chain, but you may come across a rare or out-of-print title you wouldn’t find elsewhere.
Buy at the Library: Libraries often hold sales to clear out space for new books. Prices are generally even lower than at used book stores.
Additionally, about two-thirds of the 65,000 public library systems in the country have a local Friends of Libraries chapter that helps raise money. Most chapters hold annual book sales where paperbacks usually go for around 75 cents and hardcovers sell for $1 or $2, said Sally Reed, executive director for the national organization.
While you’re there, don’t forget to sign up for a library card if you don’t already have one. You won’t be the only one checking out books in this economic climate. Last year, borrowing at libraries nationwide was 10 percent higher than during the 2001 economic downturn, when there was a similar spike in visits, according to the American Library Association.

On the Net:
www.paperbackswap.com
www.bookmooch.com
www.bookins.com
www.bookcrossing.com
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.borders.com
www.dailylit.com
www.ebay.com

Reviewed: “Escape the Mid-Career Doldrums: What to Do Next When You’re Bored, Burned Out, Retired or Fired,” by Marcia L. Worthing and Charles A. Buck, Wiley, Nov. 2007, $18.95, 204 pages.

If your feel like you’re stuck in a job you have no passion for, uncertain how to make your escape — you’re not alone.

When I graduated from college with my bright, shiny journalism degree and no job, I went to work as a secretary in a chemical company. Frankly, I worried what the dangerous chemicals stored nearby were doing to my health, but it paid the bills. Every day, counting the minutes until my lunch break or until quitting time, I plotted my exit from this occupation.

While the job that “saved” me from the chemical company wasn’t my career salvation (I sold custom-made furniture on a commission-only basis, and was not terribly good at it), it was a stepping stone that helped me to see where my natural abilities did not lie. And, on the bright side, I now know how to accessorize a room.

Those were, no question, the wrong jobs for me, and I knew they were temporary. But even the right job — the right career — can become wrong for you.

Written by a career consultant and a career coach, Marcia L. Worthing and Charles A. Buck, “Escape the Mid-Career Doldrums: What to Do Next When You’re Bored, Burned Out, Retired or Fired,” is a handy reference designed for those who are established in a career and yearn to make a move or for those who are forced out by way of layoffs or who choose retirement but aren’t ready to leave the workforce.

“Escape the Mid-Career Doldrums” offers practical advice and soul-searching exercises to those stuck in what the authors call the “BBRF Syndrome” (bored, burned out, retired or fired). The goal is to get them back on track.

One caveat is that the intended audience is a narrow group: extremely successful business professionals. So, while those of you who are not high-level executives may find some pearls of wisdom, you may be a little put off by the hoity-toity real-life “examples” given.

Here’s one: “Richard, a highly successful human resources executive for a top corporation, had over 200 employees reporting to him and a high-level executive role that allowed him to take on strategic and planning responsibilities. Despite a great salary and other perks, Richard was bored.”

They lost me even before “great salary.” Poor Richard. So misunderstood.

But, I accept that even top-level, high-paid executives get bored. And certainly, in the wake of the economic rollercoaster ride we’ve been on of late, many highly-trained professionals are being abruptly laid off or forced into early retirement.

If you’re a mid-career professional and find yourself out of job, as painful as that may be, the authors say it’s important to keep an open mind. Consider going back to school, starting a consultancy, working part-time or volunteering or working for a nonprofit organization that might benefit from your expertise.

Before doing anything, Worthing and Buck advise readers to get to the bottom of why you were bored with your job, or why you were fired.

“When you don’t know the real cause behind your boredom, burnout, retirement or firing, you can’t respond to it effectively. Your false belief about why something happened will prevent you from emerging from your career blues and discover what you really want to do for the next 10, 20, or 30 years,” they write.

The reality, they say, is that there are “plenty” of opportunities for the mid-career professional, “but a variety of factors make it seem like few opportunities exist.”

Making a change won’t be easy, and just as when I began my career search, you may start out going one direction, only to find it’s not the right path.

“Be open to new opportunities. Just because you had a plan to start your own business or to divide your time between part-time work and travel doesn’t mean you can’t adjust this plan,” the authors write.

Thoughtfully, they remind the reader: If you’re mid-career at 50, you technically have another 25 working years ahead of you.

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Anyone who has worked in a "cubicle city" will see the humor and genius in Joshua Ferris’ novel "Then We Came to the End."

In a phrase that mimics the cadence and portent of "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times," Ferris begins his tale with "We were fractious and overpaid. Our mornings lacked promise. At least those of us who smoked had something to look forward to at ten-fifteen. Most of us liked everyone, a few of us hated specific individuals, one or two people loved everyone and everything."

The story is told from the anonymous "we" point of view until, about half-way through the 385-page book, it turns into a first-person account of one of the characters, returning to the collective "we" to finish up.

The "we" speak, meant to imitate the way corporations view themselves in the first-person plural, is effective in communicating the way, in large companies, there is a collective mentality, and also that there are cliques. There are the cool kids and the geeks, those on their way up and those on their way down, the dedicated and the non-caring.

Everpresent to everyone is the constant threat of layoffs.

Not long ago, I worked for a large company where I had my own "cube" in the middle of a large room. In the corners of the room were the offices, complete with coveted windows and doors that could be shut, of the higher-ups. On the edges of the room were the slightly larger cubes of the soon-to-be higher ups. And in the middle, with the shortest and farthest away from the windows cubicles, were the peons like me. Personalities ran the gamut, and with such close quarters we were exposed to each other’s quirks. To my right was a colleague who constantly talked to his wife on the phone, using (quite audible to everyone in the vicinity) wince-causing babytalk and kissing noises. Across the aisle was a guy who spent most of his workday on Jdate. Like most workplaces, it was a group of people with whom you spent a great chunk of your day, but might never choose to associate with otherwise. It was a culture in and of itself.

Ferris had his own experience with corporate culture.

In the reader’s guide at the end of his book, Ferris explains: "I did yeoman’s work in advertising four about three years, and I was fascinated with the behemoth structure in place — the hierarchies, the coded messages, the power struggles. I thought such an awesome, malignant, necessary, pervasive, inscrutable place deserved a novel’s attention."

The "we" of the novel were a group of office buddies whose work had become rather unimportant or overimportant to the point of their inability to act. They are dissolved into the daily grind of coffee breaks, endless meetings, lunch trips, and gossip. And for them, for everyone in their company, layoffs loom large.

The possibility of a layoff is enough to make any worker freak out, as I found in my former cubicle city job. In Ferris’ book, some of the characters go to extremes. A man who feels he’s lost the loyalty of his friends and his grip on reality does something irrevocable. A woman who discovers she has a terminal illness chooses to ignore it and throws herself into her work.

As for the mid-way change in perspective to a first-person narrative, Ferris describes the “interlude” as “the book’s emotional heart. Without it “Then We Came to the End” would have been only an elaborate, if amusing game.” Although it was unexpected and somewhat jarring – all of a sudden you go from the anonymous “we” into someone’s private thoughts and fears - I believe this section was effective in bringing the humanity back to the individual worker. After a bit, the book takes us back to the group perspective, which before had become a bit tedious but now we can view in a new light. And there’s where it “comes to an end.”

Ferris’ book is entertaining, witty, enlightening, observant and true. Recommended for anyone stuck in that cube, with no door and no privacy, under the hum of the fluorescent lights and far from the windows, in the daily grind.






View all my reviews.

I love that I can borrow from the WSJ and their talented writers. I'm sure there are a lot more outdated ill-chosen titles out there. Got any suggestions?

Change of fortune makes for book-title bloopers
By LOUISE RADNOFSKY
The Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON — A financial crisis, a historic presidential campaign and a series of political scandals have scrambled how people understand the world in the past few years.

For some authors, that presents a ticklish problem.

"Obviously I would change the title," says David Lereah, the former chief economist of the National Association of Realtors and author of "Why the Real Estate Boom Will Not Bust — And How You Can Profit From It," published in paperback in February 2006. "There are places in the book where I actually say the boom is not healthy. But people don't read the book, and they just look at the title and they criticize it."

Brooke Masters, author of "Spoiling for a Fight: The Rise of Eliot Spitzer," says her book was right at the time it came out — 18 months before the New York governor was brought down by a sex scandal in March of this year. In any case, she adds, "Spoiling for a fight is totally accurate."

This election season will likely bring more casualties. Among "Why the Democrats Will Win in 2008: The Road to an Obama White House"; "A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win"; and "Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again," someone has to be wrong.

Politics, economics and social-science books are a mainstay of adult publishing, an increasingly lucrative market. Nonfiction sales in the U.S. have risen steadily to 311 million books in 2007 from 270 million in 2004, according to Nielsen BookScan.

But with tens of thousands of new titles competing for attention each year, authors have to make some bold claims — and fast. It's possible to turn around a topical book in weeks. What was once written as history is now appearing as prediction.

"It was more timely than a monthly magazine," says Steve Gill, a conservative radio host and author of "The Fred Factor: How Fred Thompson May Change the Face of the '08 Campaign," which was published by Mr. Gill's business partner in May 2007.

The book "blew through" its first print run of 10,000 copies ahead of the former Tennessee senator's declaration in September 2007 that he would run for president, Mr. Gill says. The Thompson campaign lasted barely four months. The book sold about 2,000 of its new run and the remainder were given away or trashed.

"It was truly intended all along to be a work in progress," Mr. Gill says.

Traditional publishing houses say they still want books to feel timeless despite the fast turnaround that new technology allows. "You hope that the book, even if it's about current affairs, will stand as a record of that event," says Carol Schneider, executive director of publicity and public relations for Random House Publishing Group, a division of Bertelsmann AG's Random House Inc.

But she acknowledges that accidents happen. "There's no way to manage it. You're talking about life."

That doesn't sit well with authors, who often blame their publishers when books are overtaken by events. "We argued back and forth," says Mr. Lereah, the real-estate author, who says he didn't want the titles to be so bold. "But you know, I'm a big boy, I agreed to what they told me to do and you've got to live with it," he adds.

Doubleday Business, Mr. Lereah's publisher and a unit of Random House, confirmed that the book's titles were suggested by the publishing team but said that they were based on his reasoning.

"In retrospect, everyone was fooled," says Roger Scholl, editorial director for Doubleday Business. "I would certainly say I was fooled. No one saw what was going to happen with real estate."

Mr. Lereah's book was served up in hardcover in February 2005 with the title "Are You Missing The Real Estate Boom? Why Home Values and Other Real Estate Investments Will Climb Through the End of the Decade — And How to Profit From Them." That edition sold 12,000 copies.

It was downhill from then. The paperback sold 2,300 copies in 2006 and 250 in 2007, according to Nielsen BookScan. So far this year, it's notched just 20 sales, Nielsen says.

Publishers say they're under pressure to craft titles that can quickly launch a book. "There is a trend of subtitles getting longer and longer and publishers insisting that a subtitle needs to explain everything about the book," says Bruce Nichols, vice president and publisher of Collins, a division of News Corp.'s HarperCollins. (News Corp. is the owner of Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal.)

Kevin Hassett, co-author of the 1999 book "Dow 36,000: The New Strategy for Profiting From the Coming Rise in the Stock Market," says criticism of his book isn't something he's lost a lot of sleep over. He is now an economics adviser to Republican presidential candidate John McCain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed yesterday at 11230.73.

"I think that it's important for public discourse for people to be willing to take clear positions," he says. "You can be negative and be wrong year after year and somehow it doesn't create angry critics, but if you're optimistic and incorrect the response is much more vocal."

And angry readers? They mostly have themselves to blame, says Philip Tetlock, a psychologist and author of "Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know?" which details humans' insatiable desire for more certainty than is possible.

"My counsel is greater modesty," Mr. Tetlock says. "People should expect less from experts and experts should promise less."

The River King by Alice Hoffman

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've been a fan of Alice Hoffman's mysterious, magical fiction since high school when I read Turtle Moon - borrowed from my sister's library.

The River King didn't disappoint. Hoffman's lyrical prose drew me in to a story about an enchanted Massachusetts boarding school and the suspicious death of an outcast student in the nearby river.

The appearance of watery ghosts, charmed fish and vengeful black cats were not surprising, given Hoffman's penchant for bringing the otherworldly into the everyday.

But also this is a love story, and not just of one couple. An engaged teacher and a lonely cop get together and sparks fly. A beguiling swimmer and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Passion triumphs over reason.

A good read. I plowed through the last half of the book in one night. This book missed a fifth star because I was disappointed with how tidily and hastily the book ended. I would've liked to learn more about the lovers, the townsfolk, the dead boy's final resting place.


.

While I'm not so sure that anyone ever reads this blog (except Evan and Diane who, bless you, posted comments), I wanted to explain that I was recently away for 9 blissful days of NOT reading anything ... or going near a computer or even a pen. (I brought several books with me to my lake getaway but never quite got past the 1st page of the 1st one...)

So if you're here and are actually looking for new posts (I still doubt you exist. Post a comment and prove me wrong!), please visit again soon. I've ordered a slate of new biz books and have a shelf full of new fiction at home waiting for me.

The Great Man: A Novel by Kate Christensen

My review

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novel is not about a great man at all, but the strong, unique and falliable women who surrounded a celebrated but morally weak artist in his life.



After the artist's death, his sister, his wife, his mistress, his grown daughters and his mistress's best friend are reminded of their time with him through the eyes of two biographers writing about him.



Sometimes comical, often biting, The Great Man gives us female protagonists who are grandmothers, or old enough to be grandmothers. And their voices are anything but tedious.

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is good beach-reading material for those who like a darker, CSI meets pre-WWII Russia suspense-filled tale. The cold, spare, fast-moving story is a departure from my usual girly wrought-with-feelings-and-emotions lit picks.

The story follows war-hero Leo, a government true-believer under Stalin's regime, through his fall from grace and subsequent scramble to stay alive while trying to crack the case of Russia's first serial killer.

A quick read, but it didn't capture or captivate me.

Written by Tom Rob Smith, whom I want to make fun of for having two monosyllabic first names, it's a first novel and unbelievably detailed as such. Well, he did go to Cambridge after all.

The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields, Penguin Books, 1993, 361 pp.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I think Carol Shields is genius for the way she wove together this tale of a family with roots in rural 19th century Ottawa.

A bit of a slow starter, this one. I tried reading it years ago, got through about 50 pages then put it down. But the "Winner of a Pulitzer Prize" (1995) sticker on the front got me to give it another go.

Sleepy in spots, rich in detail and complex. Told from several multi-generational viewpoints. Sad and ironic.

In the end, you want to defend Daisy Flett, through whose eyes we view the final chapters (illness and death). You want her to find love again. No such luck.

Reviewed: “The True Cost of Happiness,” by Stacey Tisdale and Paula Boyer Kennedy, Wiley, 2007, $24.95, 288 pages.

How your parents handled money influences the way you handle your finances, according to “The True Cost of Happiness,” a book co-authored by business journalist Stacey Tisdale and financial planner Paula Boyer Kennedy.

Readers are encouraged to take a look at the role family dynamics play in their financial behavior.“I’m talking about the ways in which the first lessons we learned about money as children affect our decision about making and spending it as adults,” writes Tisdale, who penned the first half of the book, which focuses on self-awareness.

In my family, my father managed the money. My mom took care of the house and three kids. The bills and the bank account were the man’s job. When my father died at age 58, losing a 13-year battle with cancer, my mother was thrust into a position of total financial responsibility — a role no one had prepared her for. When my mom was growing up, her father took care of the household finances. She learned at an early age that money was the man’s job. And that was the norm of the time, and it worked out OK for my mom. Until circumstances in her adult life necessitated a crash-course in paying bills.

Learned financial behaviors are what Tisdale and Boyer Kennedy call “money scripts.” Leaving room for you to write down your thoughts, they ask you to explore your own “money scripts” learned in childhood, and look at how they play a part in your financial attitudes as an adult.“Think about those money scripts that are limiting you. Imagine your life without those messages. How would your actions be different?” the authors write.

If your behavior isn’t leading you to your financial goals, then you need to take a new tack, they say. They walk you through ways to make those changes. One fun exercise, that I’m sure each of us has indulged in some variation, is:

•Imagine that you have all the money you will ever need. Decide what you would do with it, your life and your time.

•Next, change that picture. Now you only have 5 to 10 years to live. How will you change your life? What will you do with the time you have left?

•Lastly, imagine the changes you’ll wish you had made if you only have 24 hours to live.“The question is not what you would do with the time you have left, but what are your regrets?” the authors ask. That last scenario, they say, “cuts deepest of all. It becomes clear which issues in life are superficial and which are central. Sometimes this exercise delivers a … longing or wish that has never before surfaced.” It’s a thought-provoking way of getting to your big picture goals.

For instance, I have a desire to travel, but I feel like with my current monthly bills (mortgage!) I don’t have enough money to go anywhere. Per the authors’ advice, I can afford a trip to, say, Italy, if I make a budget and start setting aside a small sum every month.

Those who dislike the “getting in touch with your financial feelings” part of the book may be more comfortable with the second half of the book, which focuses on numbers. Basically, it tells you how to make a budget — something a lot of people simply don’t do. “We think having to literally face your values and your barriers each time you look at your finances will be an important factor in keeping your financial decisions aligned with your priorities,“ writes Boyer Kennedy, who handles the numbers-focused latter half of the book.

In other words, make a budget and stick to it and you may be able to save some money for a trip abroad … or retirement!

While the authors offer some very sound, practical advice, they also suggest that readers visit a financial planning professional to help you figure it all out.“The True Cost of Happiness” helps readers to determine why they spend/save as they do and what they could do better to meet certain goals.

Michelle Karas is The Mercury’s business editor.

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Though it was well-written with Kidd's Southern charm shining through, this novel lacked the magicality that "The Secret Life of Bees" held for me. Not un-worthwhile. A good beach read, I'd imagine. I still find it hard to believe that a woman would leave her seemingly wonderful husband to go roll around in the mud with a hot monk (and that a hot monk was just, you know, willing and available).


View all my reviews.

Another non biz book here. This one is a sweet summer read. More to come.

"Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen, 2007, Bantam Dell, 290 pp.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
This New York Times bestseller is magical, enchanting and a little dark, a la one of my favorite storytellers, Alice Hoffman. Easily and delightedly read in the space of a weekend. A tale of two sisters who are opposite and each possess different gifts. They come to find, in adulthood, that they need each other and thrive in each other's company. I will say that the moment of ugliness the book leads up to is a little too contrived and is solved much too neatly. I liked the small-town eccentrics and eccentricities and the little human mysteries and meanings for flowers scattered throughout. Hard to believe it's a first novel.

Thanks for the recommendation, Brandie!

Reviewed: “Do You Know How to Shut Up? And 51 Other Life Lessons That Will Make You Uncomfortable,” by Michael Staver, Mac Daddy Publishing, 2008, $14.95, 119 pages.

Knowing when to shut up, according to author Michael Staver, is a lost art.

I would have to agree. Especially in my office (no offense, coworkers).

Journalists, you see, not only love to write, they loooooove to share their opinions. Mostly about politics. Ick.

“Have you ever been in a conversation with a person who has already made his point but just won’t let it go?” Staver asks in his book “Do You Know How to Shut Up? And 51 Other Life Lessons That Will Make You Uncomfortable.” (Yes! The answer is yes!)

He continues, “Worse yet are you that person? Some people love the sound of their own voices, while others may simply chatter on out of nervousness or because they are uncomfortable with silence. Regardless, it’s annoying and counterproductive.”

The key, according to Staver, is to simply become more comfortable with speaking less, and more effectively. This will come with practice, he says.

This is less of a tip, than a way to get an eye-catching title for a book of business-related tips (about one every other page).

Marketed as a business/self-help book, “Do You Know How to Shut Up?” is a compilation of short bursts of advice Staver has passed along to his clients over the years. He’s CEO of The Staver Group, a national team of strategic business advisors and coaches.

Other gems Staver shared from lessons learned over the course of his 25-year career include: Can You Be Still? How Clear Are Your Boundaries? What Does It Take to Communicate with the Opposite Sex? Do You Know How to Handle Challenging People? Who Should You Blame? And Do You Stand Out (In a Good Way)?

Come to think of it, these are all kinda funny and perhaps are all good questions for anyone in business.

Consider Staver’s Life Lesson No. 8: Can You Be Still?I’m as guilty as anyone of trying to do too many things at once, and of “not seeing the forest through the trees,” as my mom likes to tell me.

Staver seems to think meditation is the answer.

“The most effective way to get more of what you want, and less of what you don’t want, is to commit to stillness on a regular basis,” he writes. “Stillness does not necessarily involve sitting quietly at the feet of some monk in a mountain hideaway. It is about a mindset and a willingness to approach stillness physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.”

To achieve this elusive stillness, Staver offers some homework suggestions including setting aside time to do nothing each week — even penciling it in on your calendar — and turning off all computers and cell phones while you’re at it.

“Be patient,” he advises. “It will take about one month before you really experience results.”

Life Lesson No. 27: Do You Know How to Handle Challenging People? — is a surprising mere three short paragraphs long. The gist is, difficult people aren’t worth your time.

What’s helpful are Staver’s strategies for dealing with said difficult people. These include, “Determine how much mental and emotional energy you are willing to invest in a particular person.”

The trouble is, you’re usually far more invested than you’d like to be when you realize that person’s such a pain.

Well, this book might not be the key to the mysteries of the universe, but it’s a cute little book. Probably better for a laugh than for actually helping you out of challenging office situations. But, then, we could all use a little more laughter. Or stillness.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

My review

Because there's more to life than business books, and because I read more fiction than books of the business variety, today I'm trying something new and posting a review of my latest read fiction, a book of stories by Jhumpa Lahiri (2008 by Knopf Canada, 224 pages).

Also, I'll plug my online book club here, which contains my reviews of both regular old books and business books. It's a great way to find new books to read.
Check out my reading list on Goodreads - where you can see what your friends are reading:
http://www.goodreads.com/friend/i?i=LTM2MDcwNTQzNDA6MjU3%0A

Like Lahiri's first collection of stories, The Interpreter of Maladies, each intricately-woven tale is like a gorgeous jewel that you feel you're the first to discover. The theme of "unaccustomed earth" - of families displaced and children who grow up torn between two cultures - pervades each of the stories, none of them very short. I liked that the last three stories are linked and are told from the viewpoint of a girl and boy who meet in childhood then later as adults. It's comforting, compelling to travel with them through the sometimes painful parts of their lives, to meet up with them again, years older, in the next tale. Even if, and especially if, there is no happy ending.

Lahiri's writing is unexpected, rich and stunning. I can't wait 'til her next book.


View all my reviews.

Reviewed: “Nailing the Job Interview,” by Susan Leahy, The Freeway Guides audiobook series, 2008, $18.95, Audio CD, 80 minutes.

If you’re looking to brush up on your interviewing skills, The Freeway Guides audiobook “Nailing the Job Interview” provides some food for thought.
The well-paced CD is voiced by Susan Leahy, a self-described “job interview expert,” who co-founded The Freeway Guides series of audiobooks on topics including public speaking, wedding planning and healthy eating. Developed on the premise that people are spending a lot more time in their car, The Freeway Guides are simple and educational programs for those who want to “learn on the go.”
Consider that lost time you spend in your vehicle each day driving to and from work. For a previous job, I battled daily traffic on Route 422 to the King of Prussia area. During those tedious drives, I could’ve been listening to something educational, such as these guides, had they existed back then.
“Nailing the Job Interview,” is not something I’d recommend listening to as you are driving to your interview, however. The tips would be most helpful several days before a big interview. Leahy’s suggestions include coming up with a “portfolio” prior to the big day. It might include extra copies of your resume, cover letter and reference list as well as any major reports documents you prepared at a former job. Days before the interview, you should think about the “key messages” you wish to get across, she says. Key messages are ideas that you might repeat several times throughout an interview and illustrate with examples, possibly backed up with documents from your portfolio. Picking out and trying on your clothing before the interview is also suggested, as is covering your “toes, shoulders and tummy.”
“It may sound shallow, but clothes do count in an interview,” Leahy says. “A suit is usually safe.”
Practicing your responses to anticipated questions in front of a mirror or with a friend is also advised. If you tend to use filler words such as “um” and “like,” Leahy suggests taping yourself, and learning to take advantage of “the power of the pause.”
On the day of the appointment, make sure you eat something and don’t overdo the caffeine. A growling stomach will not help you put your best foot forward. Likewise, caffeine coupled with adrenaline (we’ve all been there) might not be the impression of yourself you want to leave.
Plan ahead with your transportation as well by leaving 20 minutes ahead of the time you think you need to leave, giving you time for any traffic snafu or failed Mapquest instruction.
“Being late is reason enough not to get hired,” Leahy warns.Here’s another good piece of advice: When you arrive at the interview, be nice to the receptionist. Sounds simple enough, but many people forget that the receptionist’s impression counts, Leahy says.
When you greet the interviewer, be energetic and smile. Offer a firm handshake. “No dead fish,” Leahy says. And no “GI Joe,” either.
The next tip took me by surprise: “Always say ‘yes’,” if your interviewer offers you some water,” Leahy says. Forget about the standard “No thanks, I’m fine” response to that offer.
Why? “It gives you extra time to get acclimated…And later on, if your mouth is dry, you’ve got water,” Leahy says.
During the interview itself, “Focus on the small stuff,” such as your tone and body language, she says, and don’t forget to let your personality shine through.
Follow up after the interview with a written or verbal thank you. If you do get a job offer, don’t be afraid to negotiate — especially women, who tend to be shy about salary conversations, Leahy says.
“You don’t have to take the first offer,” she says.
Amen to that. Now, in the words of Leahy, “Go in there and drive that interview.”

Enter to win a gently used copy of “Nailing the Job Interview” by emailing your mailing address to mkaras@pottsmerc.com

Reviewed: “New Rules @ Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead,” by Barbara Pachter with Ellen Schneid Coleman, Prentice Hall Press, 2006, $13.95, paperback, 258 pages.

Author Barbara Pachter says it’s a good strategy, at a business event where alcohol is served, to order a drink you don’t much like and slowly sip it to make sure you don’t overindulge.
I (sort of) put this theory to the test at a recent after-hours networking event, when the bar had run out of the red wine or beer I would have preferred, and I had to drink (gasp!) light beer. But I don’t think that was exactly what Pachter was getting at. When the drinks are free, I’m not all that picky.
Pachter, author of numerous business books including “New Rules @ Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tool, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead,” states that when drinking alcohol in social/business situations, “Have a good time but…don’t forget your behavior always matters. Just because you are out of the office doesn’t mean that your behavior doesn’t count.
“Many workplaces don’t have a lot of rules — or may not enforce a lot of rules — when it comes to etiquette, or prescribed conduct, in or out of the office. “New Rules @ Work,” is practical and helpful in filling in the blanks.
Take the case of professional attire:Years ago, I was a contractor at a mutual funds company. Proper professional attire that included suits with conservative skirt lengths and certain types of shoes (no open toes, sneakers or clogs) worn with “proper hosiery” was required.
A lot of companies, however, opt for a “business casual” dress code. And in the heat and humidity of summer, those already casual rules may become even more relaxed, according to Pachter.
However, the author states, warmer weather doesn’t mean you can suddenly wear tiny skirts, skimpy tops or otherwise inappropriate clothing to your job.
“Sexy is not a corporate look,” warns Pachter.
She suggests, “If your company does not have a written policy, look at what other people wear, especially the more senior people, the more successful ones. They are often good role models.”
There’s also a chapter devoted to “e-mail embarrassments.”
“Of course, it is inappropriate to say negative things to coworkers about colleagues — past or present — whatever technology you are using. However, the risks multiply when you use e-mail,” Pachter writes.
Many of us have been on the receiving end of an inappropriate e-mail that was erroneously sent to “reply all” instead of just to the sender. Pachter advises avoiding potentially embarrassing e-mail situations by beginning a fresh e-mail rather than replying in the heat of the moment.
A chapter I found particularly helpful discussed handshakes.“You should be certain to shake hands when you: Greet someone with more than just a hello and when you say goodbye; are introduced to someone; are visited in your office by someone from outside the company — for example, a customer, client or vendor; encounter a business colleague outside the office; or feel it is appropriate.”
There are times when I first meet someone in a professional capacity and that person does not extend their hand for a handshake. It’s sometimes awkward and feels like a rejection. What I learned from Pachter’s book is that I, as a woman, should not hesitate to extend my hand first — something that I realized that I do sometimes hesitate to do.
The proper etiquette is that “a man should wait for a woman to extend her hand.” Also: “The higher-ranking person should extend his or her hand first.”
Another chapter I found interesting discussed saying hello to people at work. It sounds simple enough — greeting those you see every day or even returning a hello — but not everybody does it, according to Pachter.
“You would not believe how many people tell me they are frequently ignored when they say hello to colleagues they encounter in hallways, elevators, cafeterias and elsewhere in the office,” she writes.
Her guideline: “If you make eye contact with someone who is within 10 feet of you, you must acknowledge the person with a nod or a smile. At five feet you must say something: ‘Hello,’ or ‘Good morning’ will suffice.”
Even a simple greeting can make your boss, coworker or client feel a connection. Like Pachter’s other tips, this one might just help you “get ahead and stay ahead.”

Reviewed: “Stepping Up: 12 Ways to Rev Up, Revitalize, or Renew Your Career,” by S. Gary Snodgrass, Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2007, 87 pages, $13.95

When I have a big decision to make, I consult my personal short list of advisers: My mom, my sister and my best friend. The list widens the bigger the decision is, but those are my “Top 3.”
In career matters, however, sometimes what you really need is more objective advice. That’s where sources like “Stepping Up: 12 Ways to Rev Up, Revitalize, or Renew Your Career,” by S. Gary Snodgrass, come in.
This 87-page book, written by a human resources professional with 35 years of experience, offers a pragmatic approach to career moves.
Snodgrass’ resume includes 10 years as chief human resources officer for Chicago-based Exelon Corp., parent company of Exelon Nuclear, operator of the Limerick Generating Station in our own backyard. At Exelon, one of the nation’s largest energy companies with a work force of roughly 17,000, he led the corporation’s human resources, diversity, labor and employee relations and security functions. He is also the author of a previous book, “When Your Career Means Business.”
By its title alone, “Stepping Up: 12 Ways to Rev Up, Revitalize, or Renew Your Career,“ seemed like it might be an interesting and quick little read. And who doesn’t want to “rev up” their career?
I was a little taken aback, however, when I visited the author’s Web site (www.sgarysnodgrass.com), to find that he titles himself “Thought Leader and Consultant.”
Thought leader? I’m going to let that one pass.
The suggestions offered by Snodgrass could apply to those in their first “real job” as well as seasoned professionals.
“If you are searching for a new position or career, you should pursue an environment where the best employees are recognized and valued. It should be an organization that provides career growth, lifelong learning, and development opportunities. You also want meaningful work, an opportunity to contribute, and an environment that prizes new ideas and fresh perspectives,” Snodgrass writes.
He claims these types of organizations “abound.” (Well, perhaps they’re out there, anyhow.)
Snodgrass proposes taking control of your career path rather than simply going with the flow and letting it happen.
For example, in Guideline 5 — Evaluate Your Career Turning Points, Snodgrass states while a turning point can be something dramatic, such as marriage or a promotion, sometimes it will be “less obvious.”
“You may be disenchanted, or know in your gut that you’re not having fun any longer in your current position, place of employment, or even career field,” he writes.
Those are instances we should view “as a valuable opportunity for recharting the course” of our professional and personal lives, Snodgrass says.
And turning points, according to Snodgrass, are events we should embrace.
“If a turning point doesn’t come along, schedule one, and then reevaluate to determine your next step. For example, choose a memorable date such as your birthday or the anniversary of your employment to evaluate your work situation,” he writes.
In one of the book’s illustrative case studies, Snodgrass spotlights how John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods, knew he would have to compromise his once small vegetarian business and sell animal products in order to grow. Mackey decided to introduce humane animal-treatment standards and also placed a cap on executive compensation. His willingness to change his mindset ultimately helped to make “organic” a household word.
Each chapter has a similar nugget of wisdom for you to apply to your own work situation, with the goal of allowing you to “evolve to your highest level” at work as well as finding the organization that’s going to help take you there.

Reviewed: “Debt is Slavery: and 9 Other Things I Wish My Dad Had Taught Me About Money,” by Michael Mihalik, October Mist Publishing, 2007, $14.95, 128 pages.

Michael Mihalik was inspired to write this little book because of his own struggles with debt after college.
Mihalik, an aerospace engineer when not penning books, proudly mentions several times throughout “Debt is Slavery” that he has overcome his early credit card debt and is so financially savvy now he was able to take six whole weeks off in order to write his book. Six whole weeks.
This is where I think to myself that I or pretty much anyone who can put pen to paper might be able to come up with 128 pages on any topic if given a month and a half.
When it comes down to it, I don’t think Mihalik’s experience overcoming his debt is anything remarkable. He overextended himself with credit cards while in college and it took a while for him to bail himself out. Well done, Mr. Mihalik, but I also learned that “easy credit” lesson the hard way. So did a few others I know.
While sound, Mihalik’s pointers to overcome your debt are far too general, to the tune of: Don’t buy things you don’t need. Um, OK.
“I came up with 10 basic ideas and rules about money that allowed me to gain control of my finances and pay off my debt,” Mihalik states. “They literally transformed my life.”
Mihalik was 13 when his father died, and the premise of the book is that Mihalik had to come up with his own rules for money because his dad never had the chance to teach him.
“That’s not the easiest way to learn. I wish someone had just taught me the rules, but fate had other plans for me,” he writes. “If you’re drowning in debt, if it seems like you’ll never get ahead financially, or if you’re forced to work at a job you dislike to pay the bills, this book has something for you.”
Something, yes. Something in the way of very general advice.
(Specific financial advice, let it be noted, should come from a financial services professional).
The author says that when he got out of college, armed with his engineering degree and several pre-approved credit cards, he soon found himself in roughly $20,000 of debt and living beyond his means. At the time, Mihalik said he searched for a self-help book but could find none that were short and to the point. There, his idea for this book was born.
“After I eliminated my debt and gained control of my finances, I wanted to help other people do the same, so I decided to write the book I wish had been available to me,” he writes.
It took Mihalik one “hellish year” to get out of debt, he says.
The core lessons of the book are sound: Debt is bad. Try not to get into it. Possessions won’t bring you happiness, so stop buying them. Find work you enjoy, and you’ll be happier. Don’t just save, invest in “income-producing assets.” Spend less than you earn.
Are these suggestions bad advice? Not at all. Did I need to read this book to learn them? Not at all.
The one piece of advice that piqued my interest was the chapter — I mean the three whole pages — on how to save 50 percent of your salary.
“If you save 50 percent of your salary, for every month you work, you will save enough to take a month off — without changing your lifestyle,” Mihalik writes.
Hmmm. Saving half my salary. I don’t think that’s even possible.
But Mihalik anticipates this reaction, and advises trying for a 33 or 25 percent total savings — over and above the maximum 401k plan contributions you can make at work, that is.
To save this quarter of your salary, you have to make a budget, he says.
I agree — making a budget is a great idea for anyone who has any debt at all. It helps you see where your money goes.
Additionally, Mihalik advises, you should budget for savings, trips and special purchases. Yes, all good ideas, but still super-simplified and general.
My advice is to save the money you would spend on this book and add it to your savings.