Jenn’s Books

Title:Your Management Sucks, See Details Inside Author: Mark Stevens Format: Hardbound

I try to be as nice as possible about all books. Someone put a lot of time and energy writing the book, editors going through and making the book as clean and readable as possible, publishers spent a lot of money printing and marketing the book as possible. But as nice as I want to be, some books don’t deserve it. This is unfortunately one of them. After reading Your Management Sucks my first thought was “Something sure does suck and it’s not my management.” I felt like I was being preached at. That everything I was doing was wrong and I will be a horrible manager if I don’t “declare war on myself.” Something that Stevens did right, I think, was put in others philosophies and thoughts on business, like that of Sam Walton. His philosophy is if he can invent a better him and a better way of doing business every day, then he would be happy. Unfortunately, Stevens then twists this into “he declares war on himself every day, he is never happy with himself, and you shouldn’t be either.” I’m sorry, but I am quite happy with myself, and at the same time I do strive to be better. I can actually hold these two thoughts in my head at the same time. The author cannot seem to do this. I was so disappointed in the book. The title had so much potential. I would recommend this book only to those people who want a “whip you into shape” book.
If you would like more reviews on this title, please visit the Amazon website.

Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.

~James Russell Lowell

Posted on July 25th, 2006.

Today’s big thanks goes to Clarissa of Shared Wing Shirts. She has done a bunch of little things to help speed this site along, including putting up a feed to this site on Live Journal. Thanks again to everyone that is reading.

To choose a good book, look in an inquisitor’s prohibited list.

~John Aikin

Posted on July 24th, 2006.

Again, thanks for reading. Big thanks to Heather of Burning Void for linking me. Please check out my “About the Jenn of Jenn’s Books” page for new updates. And if everyone could think good thoughts for my roommate and “adopted mom” Miss Kitty I would greatly appreciate it.

Jenn

People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.

~Logan Pearsall Smith, Trivia, 1917

Posted on July 23rd, 2006

Thanks for reading. We are, as of this post, at 129 readers, but we are still trying to expand. Please tell your friends about this site. “Del.icio.us” my “about the Jenn” page! “Digg” into my subscibtions page. Anything at all will help at this point. The more readers the better!

TV. If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they’ll have with twenty-six. Open your child’s imagination. Open a book.

~Author Unknown

Posted on July 22nd

Books support us in our solitude and keep us from being a burden to ourselves.

~Jeremy Collier

Posted July 21st, 2006

Books are delightful society. If you go into a room and find it full of books - even without taking them from the shelves they seem to speak to you, to bid you welcome.

~William Ewart Gladstone

Posted on July 20th, 2006

Title:The New Professional Image Author: Susan Bixler Format: Trade Paperbound

This book struck me as a good present for someone who may be reentering the work force or going into it for the first time. For those of us that have been in the business world for a while, this is a great book to check out at your local library. I found that I had to have the salt shaker nearby simply to have enough grains to take with this book. The author seems to have her fashion sense stuck in the late fifties. Sorry to say that we are not all June Cleaver anymore. She seems endlessly attached to pearls. I personally don’t like wearing pearls. The things I think that Bixler has done right is dividing the book into levels of professional dress and then again into women and men. She does also address some of the most common mistakes make by both sexes, like wearing too much fragrance, tailoring, and grooming. I do love the whole section on grooming that she has as it does go from your eyes to your lips to your hair. This book is good for those that want just a few pointers on how to look a bit more professional but want to keep their individuality.
If you would like more reviews on this title, please visit the Amazon website.

We should read to give our souls a chance to luxuriate.

~Henry Miller

Posted on July 19th, 2006.

Title: Thunder Cake Author: Patricia Polacco Format: Trade Paperbound

Patricia Polacco’s Thunder Cake has always been a favorite of mine. It starts off with this little girl hiding under her grandmother’s bed because she is afraid of the thunder. Well, Babushka will have none of that. “Let’s make a thunder cake,” she declares. This brings our frightened young one out from under the bed to find out what that is. In order to have this special cake, she must venture out of the house where the big Midwestern thunder storm is, not to mention the goats and the geese and the big pig. Her babushka helps her along with plenty of patience and a lot of hugs. By the time this wonderful chocolate cake comes out of the oven, our little heroine is no longer afraid of the big thunder storm. And for those that are salivating over that cake, the author is kind enough to include the recipe. I would recommend this to anyone who has a child that is afraid of things that can be explained and worked away.
If you would like more reviews of this title, please visit the Amazon website.