ALFRED A. KNOPF

In The Brand You 50, Peters sees a new kind of corporate citizen who believes that surviving means not blending in but standing out. He believes that "90+ per cent of White Collar Jobs will be totally reinvented/reconceived in the next decade" and that job security means developing marketable skills, making yourself distinct and memorable, and developing your network ability. His list-filled prescriptions cover everything; for example, "You are Your Rolodex I: BRAND YOU IS A TEAM" (no. 22), "Consider your 'product line'" (no. 25), "Work on your Optimism" (no. 35), "Sell. SELL. SELL!!!" (no. 47). While the book is overwhelming at times--its hyperactive typography pretty much shouts at you--any baby boomer thinking about his or her career will find much to consider. --Harry C Edwards, Amazon.com
Guide for the Free Agent Employee (Contractor) Universe-Wow!, 2004-05-29
There has been a lot written and said about how white collar employees will start acting like free agents in sports. This trend is already well advanced with software writers and other scarce professionals. Tom Peters has moved well beyond what has already happened to create a useful portrait of how to play this new role in order to have the most satisfaction and success. Further, he asserts that those in the non-scarce areas like human resources, purchasing, and so forth had better do the same thing . . . because 90% of these jobs will be gone in 10 years. I sometimes think that Tom Peters overstates things, but in this one area I think he is understating what needs to be done. Whether you are an employee, want to start your own firm, have friends and children who want good careers, or have just lost your job, this is an extremely important book on how to take charge of your own career (and to help those you care about do the same) to create the most benefit for those you serve (your clients, in Peters parlance)and yourself. Although you will recognize all of the ideas from having seen them elsewhere before, you will find the way he has woven them together to be practical, mutually-supportive and thought-provoking. I know that I got several good ideas from this book. As a business book author who helps people get a lot more with less ... and in less time, I found an additional benefit. This book is a great profile of how to be Tom Peters, the world's most successful business guru. I found this to be his most self-revealing book, and although I have always liked his work, I found that liked him personally a lot better as a result of what he shows about himself. If you are a Tom Peters fan, be sure to add this book to your reading list! You'll be glad you did. You'll live a much more interesting, meaningful, productive life as a result. This book is part of his 3 book series: Reinventing Work. I also recommend his book, Professional Service Firm 50, and you can read my comments about that book on that book's page on Amazon.com.

Anyone who has seen Ric Burns'televison work (eg American Civil War) will know what to expect. This is a meticulously researched book but moves along with the pace of a best-seller. The picture selection is amazing too. What I found particularly good is the inclusion of short essays from a number of top=notch US historians - often providing contrasting viewpoints on key issues to those expressed by Burns.

This book should be compulsory reading for anyone visiting New York. It precisely outlines the cpaitalist-democratic dynamic that makes Gotham what it is.