Average customer rating:
- Common sense will get you just as far...
- For 88% of the population, a must read
- Fun, quick read
- Helped get me out of my shell.
- would make a good magazine article, but not a very good book.
|
How to Work a Room: The Ultimate Guide to Savvy Socializing in Person and Online
Susan RoAne
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Communications
| Skills
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Interpersonal Relations
| Relationships
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Health Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Parenting Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
What Do I Say Next?: Talking Your Way to Business and Social Success
-
How to Create Your Own Luck: The You Never Know Approach to Networking, Taking Chances, and Opening Yourself to Opportunity
-
RoAne's Rules: How to Make the Right Impression: Working the Room, or One-on-One,What to Say and How to Say It
-
The Art of Mingling: Easy, Proven Techniques for Mastering Any Room
-
How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less
ASIN: 0060957859 |
Book Description
Have you ever walked into a room full of strangers -- be it a business function, a meeting, or a cocktail party -- and felt uncomfortable? In the NEW How to Work a Room, " The Mingling Maven" Susan RoAne provides the tools and techniques for savy socializing in all situations so that you are comfortable in any room. She identifies the roadblocks that prevent us from meeting new people, developing new contacts, and establishing connections that build personal and professional relationships. Susan offers a practical remedy to overcome each roadblock. You will learn how to mix chutzpah with charm to start and end conversations smoothly, know when and how to use humor , and follow the simple rules of etiquette in an emerging manner. Incorporating a decade of feedback from hundreds of presentations, as well as the new chapters " How to Work A Virtual Room" and "How to Work the Techno Toy Room," How to Work a Room is a book that will change your life.
Customer Reviews:
Common sense will get you just as far..........2007-08-01
Most of the book contains common sense ideas for working a room, ideas in which the average person already inherently knows and will act on without reading this book. Half of the time I was busy looking up the Yiddish terms in the Glossary and the other half of the time the author is trying to sell herself (I don't have to hear that you sell out arenas five times!) and her other books. Good thing I wasn't depending on this book to get me through working a room any time soon.
For 88% of the population, a must read.......2007-04-07
If you are like me, one of the 88% of the people who say they are shy, Susan Roane's "How to Work a Room" is a good start to learning socializing skills. Without a doubt, going to a social event and working a room effectively, is a challenge for most people. But with Roane's guide, the reader learns interesting and effective techniques to turn one's shyness into someone comfortable in a social setting.
While some of this book deals with matters that are not necessarilly important, there are some valuable techniques. From being a "host" rather than a "guest" at a party, to creating appropriate introductions, there are a host of tips. One of the best sections, at least for myself, is the section on manners.... from cell phone usage, to how and what kind of jokes to tell. For the amount of times I have been at a function and thought someone was rude or acting inappropriately, it is certainly valuable... and gives hope for those of us who were expected to use proper manners.
As a how to guide, covering all topics, Susan Roane's book is excellent. There were sections that I wish she has discussed in greater detail, but I think detail was sacrificed to cover all topics. As a starting point however, for someone like myself looking to become more effective in a social setting, it is a good starting point.
One of the effective parts of the book are the summaries at the end of each chapter, highlighting the do's and donts of socializing. They are handy and useful for brushing up on the key points of the chapter. Also, at the end of the book, the The Gospel According to Roane: The Ten Commandments of Connecting (Though Shalt Prepare, Thous Shalt Attend) is probably worth copying and revisiting every so often
Be aware however, as with anything, all of her tips and ideas ultimately rely on you. No magic bullets. As she says in at the end of her book, what you are required to have in order to make you socializing work is to be courteous, be chanrming, and have some Chutzpah. Of course, this is easier said than done.
Fun, quick read.......2006-12-20
This is a great book for a confidence booster, but the truth is that it deals more or less with etiquette as opposed to strategy for improving your interpersonal communication skills. For the 5 hours that it takes to read it, the book is worth the purchase, but it offers little insight as to how to overcome shyness, garner fortitude, and make the contacts you want at receptions and events you attend.
This book is likely most valuable for people hosting receptions and mixers. RoAne offers a refresher course on how to properly introduce guests to one another, what not to say/ask/do to individuals you meet at a given event, etc. Essentially this book is a lesson in good manners which should precede any book on networking.
Helped get me out of my shell........2006-08-06
This is a good book for someone who can act on things. I was shy most of my life and worked hard to earn a degree from a good school only to fear talking to people so
I sent back to work in a factory. I did not know how to switch gears and mix in a business setting or others where I did not know people. It really hurt and I was determined to get over this. I found this book over 12 years ago and really took it to heart and figured that I would try to do some of the things the author was talking about and just kept building for there. If you can learn from book and try to act on them within reason when you do not have the answers yourself then this book might help you. I give it to my up and coming staff as part of their development if I think it will help them in social/business setting. While I still have a big shy side no one reallyknows it unless I tell them and I speak on a pretty regualr basis to various business and other groups.
would make a good magazine article, but not a very good book. .......2006-01-12
There are many pages that are just completely wasted.
Average customer rating:
|
Diversity, Oppression, and Social Functioning: Person-In-Environment Assessment and Intervention (2nd Edition)
George A. Appleby ,
Edgar Colon , and
Julia Hamilton
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Baby-3
| Ages 4-8
| Ages 9-12
| Audiobooks
| Animals
| Arts & Music
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Computers
| Educational
| History & Historical Fiction
| Issues
| Literature
| Obsessions
| People & Places
| Popular Characters
| Reference & Nonfiction
| Religions
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Series
| Sports & Activities
Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Social Work
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Social Psychology & Interactions
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Children's Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Health Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Children's Books
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Direct Social Work Practice: Theory and Skills (with InfoTrac®)
-
Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study
-
Introduction to Group Work Practice (with MyHelpingLab), An (5th Edition)
-
Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice, The (4th Edition)
-
The Skills of Helping Individuals, Families, Groups, and Communities (with The Interactive Skills of Helping CD-ROM, Engaging and Working with the Hard-to-Reach Client CD-ROM, and InfoTrac )
ASIN: 0205386628 |
Book Description
This diversity practice book teaches readers how to work with a broad range of diverse populations, using the "Person-In-Environment" (PIE) theoretical framework.
The diverse populations presented in the book are described within an ecological, strengths perspective. The authors' thesis is that, in order to work effectively with diverse populations, it is necessary to take into consideration the complex dynamics of social functioning and social oppression. The "Person-In-Environment" theoretical framework provides a basis for analysis of the social, economic, and political reality of these diverse populations. The text presents an affirmative practice approach, and builds on the available diversity practice literature.
For anyone working in a diverse population or looking to gain knowledge in this area.
Book Description
A Kind Friend to Walk with You...
For many, depression is associated with shame and humiliation -- even a lack of faith. But in this refreshingly honest and oh-so-very-real revelation of one woman's journey through depression, you'll hear the voice of a kind friend. And in her words you'll find hope and renewed confidence that will guide you through your own darkness and into the light.
- If you are currently suffering from depression -- this book will help you realize you're not alone.
- If you have a loved one dealing with depression -- this book will help you understand.
- If you are a mental-health professional -- you now have a new tool to encourage your clients.
Along with the humor, Chonda shares practical insight, biblical teaching, emotional support, and sympathetic concern. Whether you've experienced depression in your own life or in the life of someone you love, this friend has something to offer you: help, hope and, believe it or not, plenty of laughter.
Customer Reviews:
Laughing in the dark.......2007-10-19
The first several chapers were a bit wordy but then settled in to have several good thoughts in the latter part of the book.
Great Read.......2007-10-04
This book flowed well, and I really appreciated Chonda's candid and honest look at her journey through depression. While the church sometimes implies if you suffer from depression, you must not have enough faith or you are making it up, Chonda is not ashamed to share her story and her faith. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent.......2007-10-02
I recently saw Chondra on stage. I knew with her type of humor, I needed to read her book.Being diagnosed with Clinical Depression myself, I felt we had something in common. I was not disappointed, her book is excellent. She is able to put into words thoughts and feelings just like mine. It seems God put people into her life just like He did me. This is a must read!!!!!
books.......2007-09-21
I love Chonda Pierce. I have been to see her in person. This is a must read book
Couldn't put it down........2007-09-17
This book just really hit home with me. I could relate to so many things. Chonda is such a funny lady and it left me so optimistic. Passed it on to a friend that is traveling down that dark road. She loved it also.
Average customer rating:
|
Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons (Proceedings of a Conference Held at Stockholmsmassan May 21-24, 1989)
C. E. Norrbom
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
| AIDS
| Abuse
| Adults
| Aging
| Children
| Class
| Communities
| Culture
| Death
| General
| History
| Leisure
| Marriage & Family
| Medicine
| Men
| Occupational
| Race Relations
| Religion
| Research & Measurement
| Rural
| Social Groups
| Social Situations
| Social Theory
| Suburban
| Urban
| Women
Reference
| Transportation
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Disability
| Specialties
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Transportation & Highway
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 2881247636 |
Average customer rating:
|
Children with Visual Impairments: Social Interaction, Language and Learning
Joao Roe
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Physically Disabled
| Special Education
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Visually Impaired
| Special Education
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
| AIDS
| Abuse
| Adults
| Aging
| Children
| Class
| Communities
| Culture
| Death
| General
| History
| Leisure
| Marriage & Family
| Medicine
| Men
| Occupational
| Race Relations
| Religion
| Research & Measurement
| Rural
| Social Groups
| Social Situations
| Social Theory
| Suburban
| Urban
| Women
General
| Education
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Education
| New & Used Textbooks
| Stores
| Books
Special Education
| Education
| New & Used Textbooks
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Look At It This Way: Toys and Activities for Children with Visual Impairment (Play Can Help Series)
ASIN: 0415148154 |
Book Description
This book sets out the basis for addressing the individual needs of children with a wide range of visual impairments within the Code of Practice. It includes information about opthalmics; the identification and assessment of aspects of vision, and the role of different agencies likely to be involved; a comprehensive range of practical strategies; and advice on the use of low vision aids, appropriate decor and physical layouts, lighting conditions and equipment, and relevant IT. Drawing on recent research, this book argues that it is the quality of the child's social interactions which promotes play, language and learning. This is a highly accessible text addressed to parents, teachers and those who support schools professionally.
Average customer rating:
|
Practice Issues in HIV/Aids Services: Empowerment-Based Models and Program Applications
Ronald J. Mancoske
Manufacturer: Haworth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
AIDS
| Disorders & Diseases
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
AIDS
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Health Care Delivery
| Administration & Policy
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
Public Health
| Administration & Policy
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
Health Care Delivery
| Administration & Medicine Economics
| Medical
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Public Health
| Administration & Medicine Economics
| Medical
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Health Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0789023016 |
Book Description
Improve quality of life for patients with HIV/AIDS!
Practice Issues in HIV/AIDS Services: Empowerment-Based Models and Program Applications provides a sound framework of intervention practices for case managers and care coordinators to help HIV/AIDS patients live longer and healthier lives. This book focuses on client-based care that addresses the social and psychological needs of the patient as well as his or her physical and medical requirements. Filled with concrete information and recommendations from practitioners and researchers, this instructive text will help increase the effectiveness of your role in the client's treatment.
Practice Issues in HIV/AIDS Services leads the reader from a conceptual framework of approaches related to the ongoing HIV/AIDS crises to specific case studies focused mainly on interventions. Practice models of case management are discussed and applied to clients with special needs, including injection drug users, Mexican migrant farm workers, and African-American underserved populations.
Examples of the practice models discussed in this book include:
the Generalist social work practice modelemphasizing problem-solving at various system levels through the process of relationship building, data gathering, assessing, intervening, evaluating interventions, and terminating services the Broker modelfocusing on activities which will increase the client's linkage to services, then terminating the client-case manager relationship the Therapeutic or Clinical modelestablishing a relationship with the case manager as a treatment provider with rapport and trust as a therapeutic intervention the Therapeutic Team Approach or Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)utilizing multidisciplinary teams to provide a range of specialty services to clients with the intent to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and improve independent functioning in the community.
Well referenced, with dependable methodologies and sound conclusions, Practice Issues in HIV/AIDS Services is an essential text for case managers, health professionals, and educators and students of social work. Its emphasis on special populations, with new approaches to case management and techniques to strengthen present ones, makes this book an important addition to anyone's reference collection.
Book Description
Every industrial nation in the world guarantees its citizens access to essential health care services--every country, that is, except the United States. In fact, one in eight Americans--a shocking 43 million people--do not have any health care insurance at all. One Nation, Uninsured offers a vividly written history of America's failed efforts to address the health care needs of its citizens. Covering the entire twentieth century, Jill Quadagno shows how each attempt to enact national health insurance was met with fierce attacks by powerful stakeholders, who mobilized their considerable resources to keep the financing of health care out of the government's hands. Quadagno describes how at first physicians led the anti-reform coalition, fearful that government entry would mean government control of the lucrative private health care market. Doctors lobbied legislators, influenced elections by giving large campaign contributions to sympathetic candidates, and organized "grassroots" protests, conspiring with other like-minded groups to defeat reform efforts. As the success of Medicare and Medicaid in the mid-century led physicians and the AMA to start scaling back their attacks, the insurance industry began assuming a leading role against reform that continues to this day. One Nation, Uninsured offers a sweeping history of the battles over health care. It is an invaluable read for anyone who has a stake in the future of America's health care system.
Customer Reviews:
Surprisingly interesting and readable primer on such a complex issue.......2007-10-09
One Nation Uninsured is brought to life in a fresh way by various first-hand recollections that are peppered throughout detailed, academic sketches of the major historical episodes that failed to produce national health insurance. Instead of reading like another dry textbook, this book provides an informative, intimate, and plausible narrative of why many of the major players did what they did in light of their different circumstances, motivations, and temperaments. Particular attention is also paid to other important non-health care events, such as the Red Scare, Brown v. Board of Education, Watergate, and Iran-Contra, as they indirectly affected the political will to mobilize for and against national health insurance, making this account all the more believable and nicely nuanced.
My only complaint is that since the book was published in 2005, 2006 Part D legislation which expanded Medicare coverage, could not be discussed, but hopefully an updated edition will be written in a few years. Overall, a surprisingly interesting and readable primer on such a complex issue.
Special Interests Prevail.......2007-05-12
Very enlightening historical perspective on national health insurance. It seems special interests dominant in our democratic society. Quite surprising that both republican & democratic presidents tried to pass national health insurance. Special interests contribute to both parties and when the going gets close focus on those candidates who are vulnerable in order to entice their vote.
In our current lack of bi-partisian political climate, it seems very doubtful that national health insurance has a chance of being passed.
book was cheap and new.......2007-02-10
the book came on time, looks new and was incredibly cheap
Praise for One Nation, Uninsured.......2006-03-13
"An important book. Jill Quadagno provides an impressive array of historical evidence to advance original arguments for why the United States lacks a comprehensive health care system and why health insurance should be viewed as a social right. This book is must reading for those concerned about health care reform in the United States." -- William Julius Wilson, author of When Work Disappears
"A chilling historical account of how powerful groups with self-serving financial interests have successfully blocked attempts to enact national health insurance for seven decades, leaving tens of millions of our citizens without adequate health care coverage and often without even minimal care. Anyone eager to seek reform of our badly fragmented health care system must study its lessons and its blueprint for action; a task that will require nearly unprecedented political skills and monumental organizational prowess." -- Jerome P. Kassirer, M.D., author of On The Take: How Medicine's Complicity With Big Business Can Endanger Your Health
"Jill Quadagno has produced the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of the power and effectiveness of interest groups in defeating a century of national health insurance reform campaigns. An impressive combination of theory and historical research, One Nation, Uninsured sets the parameters for the next round of debate over why the U.S. remains the only country without universal health insurance and how it might still expand access while reigning in costs." -- Lawrence R. Jacobs, McKnight Land Grant Professor, University of Minnesota
"A fresh, savvy, powerful, ambitious, lyrical explanation of how America became so heartless about health care. Highly recommended for both citizens and scholars." -- James A. Morone, author of Hellfire Nation and Healthy, Wealthy, and Fair
"Quadagno, a distinguished sociologist with a long-standing interest in policy, explores a century of government attempts to create universal health care and the powerful forces that have defeated those attempts.... Her sociological insights illuminate a path to reform." -- The San Diego Union-Tribune
"Readable and engaging.... Some of the most interesting portions come from Quadagno's own archival searches and her interviews with people who lived the history that she describes.... Quadagno's sustained focus on interest-group politics seems right on target." -- New England Journal of Medicine
"A strongly argued account that provides useful ammunition for anyone seeking to effect change in a medical system that willfully excludes so many who need it." -- Kirkus Reviews
More bogus literature.......2005-07-04
See my review of "Uninsured in America: Life & Death in the Land of Opportunity" for reasons why this argument is bogus and filled with lies.
Book Description
In the wake of recent terrorist attacks, efforts to secure the American city have life-or-death implications. Yet demands for heightened surveillance and security throw into sharp relief timeless questions about the nature of public space, how it is to be used, and under what conditions. Blending historical and geographical analysis, this book examines the vital relationship between struggles over public space and movements for social justice in the United States. Presented are a series of linked cases that explore the judicial response to public demonstrations by early twentieth-century workers, and comparable legal issues surrounding anti-abortion protests today; the Free Speech Movement and the history of People's Park in Berkeley; and the plight of homeless people facing new laws against their presence in urban streets. The central focus is how political dissent gains meaning and momentum--and is regulated and policed--in the real, physical spaces of the city.
Book Description
50+ is a call to arms. It’s a groundbreaking look at the revolution that’s going on right now among seventy-eight million American baby boomers. From age 50+ on up, Americans are refusing to rock away their retirement. They’re starting new careers, rallying for causes close to their hearts, raising grandchildren, becoming more active in their communities, and, above all else, changing the face of aging in America.
Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP, knows that with the largest generation of Americans ever recorded nearing traditional retirement age, this revolution is changing the way 50+ Americans live their lives. The boomers have vast technological expertise, are actively involved in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, have been politically active throughout their lives, and are comfortable managing their own finances. They’re no strangers to the gym, the voting booth, online investing sites, or the day-to-day management of their 401(k)s, and they’re joining an already active and savvy group of Americans 50+ and beyond who are determined to leave their mark on the world. Novelli knows that there’s strength in numbers and that 50+ Americans can seize the day by:
--Working to transform health care not only by demanding quality care and lower pharmaceutical costs, but also by engaging in healthy lifestyles and preventive care
--Creating a secure retirement by planning personal finances well in advance and working to make Social Security solvent for all Americans
--Revolutionizing the workplace so those of us who want or need to continue working can do so in a way that benefits everyone.
--Building livable communities with improved housing, transportation, and services, allowing all Americans to age in place.
--Changing the marketplace by driving the development of innovative products and services that add value to 50+ lives, and using collective purchasing power to make them affordable
--Advocating for causes that will really make a difference
--Creating a lasting legacy so we can leave the world a better place than we found it.
By discovering the possibilities that lie within all of us, we can ignite a twenty-first-century revolution to make America better and stronger. If you’re 50+, Bill Novelli has a message for you: The best is yet to come.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent read .......2007-02-24
This book is an excellent read from the vantage point of a middle aged reader and from a general business standpoint. Bill Novelli is a brilliant man. For the past six years I have thrown the AARP solicitations in the circular file but after reading the book I intend to join the organization.
A hard-hitting social observation all general-interest lending collections will want........2007-02-04
50+ examines the revolution happening among American baby boomers, who are refusing to enter peacefully into retirement but are starting up new careers, super-charging volunteer efforts and directions, and are changing the idea of the aged in this country. Author Bill Novelli is CEO of AARP and in prime position to observe and comment on all this change: 50+: Igniting a Revolution to Reinvent America is a hard-hitting social observation all general-interest lending collections will want.
A very long AARP PR piece.......2007-01-10
This book is essentially a very long AARP PR piece, nothing more.
It might be an interesting read for a young person looking to discover what the aging boomers have planned. And the plan is not a pretty one for young people. Despite claims by Novelli that he is working towards a better world for everyone, in typical boomer fashion, he is working to reshape the world so that it works for his demographic (aging boomers) and everyone else can just smile and fit in.
If you don't have something nice to say..........2006-12-03
If you look for value and things to gain and learn from a book like, "50+ Igniting a Revolution to Reinvent America," you can always find them; if you look for content to justify a negative and critical view (such as the prior two reviews), you can always find those too. It all comes down to what YOU choose to look for.
I found Bill Novelli's book uplifting and inspiring, calling more on baby boomers to commit themselves (in actions vs. words) to make the world a better place. I am a baby boomer and if I want to find reasons to make a difference in the world and leave it better than I found it, I can always find them; if I want to find reasons (a.k.a. excuses) not to, I can find those too.
Novelli's book will be a tonic for me at those moments when I am teetering towards a defeatist attitude.
What has inspired me most of the book is Novelli's career path, realizing and then acting upon the fact that "Wealth is what you take from the world, worth is what you give back." He could have focused on becoming rich, but instead turned it to enriching the world.
-Mark Goulston, M.D.
"Leading Edge" columnist
Fast Company magazine
More of a Rehash of Myths than Groundbreaking .......2006-11-30
Book Report on "50+," by Bill Novelli, the CEO of AARP
By George Fulmore
November 26, 2006
I bought and read the book by CEO AARP Bill Novelli, "50+," with the expectation that it would stress the positives about how Americans can "reinvent" themselves in retirement, while avoiding any acknowledgment that the bulk of today's American retirees are thoroughly enjoying a traditional retirement lifestyle.
I wasn't disappointed. I think that is what the book is all about.
But in addition to the lack of balance in the book, it includes, purposely, I must assume, some very misleading numbers. Let's look at a couple:
The first comes in a discussion about working in retirement, when Novelli says, "A full 80 percent of boomers say they expect to keep working, either full- or part-time after they hit so-called retirement age." He should be ashamed of himself. This is total misinformation, based on a ridiculous interpretation of a survey AARP did several years ago in calling about 1,200 people, aged 38-57. The survey asked, "Thinking about your employment status in later years, which of these (following answers) best describes what you think you will be doing when you retire?" Of the six possible answers offered, 20% of those called picked "Not work at all." If any of the other answers were picked, this has been interpreted as saying that the person expects to keep working in retirement.
If you look under my name via a Google search, you'll find a column I wrote several years ago on this subject. The bottom line is that the 80% interpretation was a farce from the start. It is awful to see Novelli continue to promote it under the auspices of The AARP. It is nonsense, and I think he knows it.
The second out-right fib comes in that same section, when Novelli says that a Boomer who works full-time between ages 62 and 66, then takes Social Security, will earn more than 40% more than if he/she were to begin Social Security at age 62. To get to 40% or more, he must be comparing the current value at 62 with a projected value at 66, including COLA increases. Even then, I don't see how he gets "more than 40%." The truth is that the benefit value at 62 is essentially the present value of the value at 66, four years later. But during those four years, you are not receiving any Social Security income, if you delay to age 66.
Most in the business will tell you that it is not until age 82 that you would begin to creep ahead in total benefits received, if you were to delay benefits to age 66, rather than take them at 62. In other words, it takes about 18 years AFTER age 66 to end up with the same total amount of Social Security benefits one would receive by starting at age 62. Why doesn't he give us this side of the story instead of his misleading percentage?
Moving on, Novelli and The ARRP are placing a heavy bet that they can speak for Boomers when they say, "Traditional retirement simply is not a good fit for boomers...." Who can really speak for this massive group of about 76 million who have an age range of 18 years? That is essentially the width of a generation, itself.
ARRP is betting that Boomers are different from those before them. They will live longer. They will have more years in retirement. But are these really compelling reasons to continue to work rather than retire? I think when Novelli says, "More and more people will be considering retirement at 72 than 62....," he's blowing smoke.
In 2008, when the first of the Boomers can sign up for Social Security, I predict that at least 60% of those eligible will do so, shattering one of the greatest myths promoted by The AARP. I can't wait.
And how about this for another great myth: "Seventy-five or even fifty years ago, people aged more rapidly than they do today." Sounds good, but there is no reference to any scientific proof of this. And how about, "Even people in their seventies or eighties don't see themselves as old...." Obviously, that is an optional choice - to see oneself as not "old" -- but does it really mean anything?
And Novelli tells us that AARP has 36 million members. But what he doesn't mention that it uses a multiplier of 1.6 to get to that number and that the organization is essentially stuck on that inflated number. The truth is that AARP is NOT appealing to Boomers in large numbers and that AARP is very, very worried that Boomers will NOT join AARP in any significant numbers.
But Novelli and The ARRP score points in my mind with the stances on preserving Social Security and with the discussions in the book on the solvency of Medicare. When he brags about AARP's role in the Prescription Drug legislation, however, he must know that the jury is still out on this Medicare Part D program. Who the real winners will be has yet to be determined. And there is a real possibility that there will be NONE. We might all be losers because of this full-of-holes program, especially if its outrageous costs are used by those who have wanted to privatize and dismantle Medicare from the start.
The promo text in the book's inside cover says, " 50+ is a call to arms. It's a groundbreaking look at the revolution that's going on right now among 78 million American baby boomers." I don't find the book to deliver much of anything that is "groundbreaking." There is one brief section that appeals to me. It reads, in part, "The period we have traditionally called retirement can be a wonderful time of life...filled with opportunities to live and love, to learn and to explore, to give back, to enjoy the life we have worked so hard to own, to seek significance, and to discover that personal fulfillment is the final piece of the new American Dream."
So, what is all this "igniting a Revolution" stuff all about? Is there really anything new under the sun? If not, the book is primarily a rehash of thoughts and ideas found elsewhere that Novelli and AARP use as if it they belong to them.
The bottom line with Novelli and AARP, I think, is that they cannot get past encouraging folks to work as long as possible: "These are the years of both tremendous change and self-discovery. Continued work, learning, spending time with grandchildren, traveling and community service all can nourish our sense of well-being." Now, of that list, what would seem to be out of place for the typical retiree? If you picked "work," you're right. But Novelli puts it as the first one on the list!
And in a section on legacies, the author tells us of an Olga Murry, who when hiking in Nepal found the work she was "dreaming of." She works with an orphanage there and starts a foundation. She finds happiness this way, and gives us a quote that says, "When it's over, I don't want...to end up simply visiting the world." What's the message here? That folks who choose to and can afford to travel for pleasure are missing the boat of reinventing themselves in retirement?
In my mind, the main problem with AARP is that it speaks for itself, rather than for its members and its natural constituency -- the many, many of who live under the umbrella of a traditional retirement lifestyle and are happy about it. Novelli and AARP should be more honest with their readers and admit to an anti-retirement bias in the first place. Again, I think that is what the book is really all about!
Books:
- Leo the Late Bloomer
- Letters at 3Am: Reports on Endarkenment
- LIGHTING THE WAY: NINE WOMEN WHO CHANGED MODERN AMERICA
- Lucky Every Day: 20 Unforgettable Lessons from a Coach Who Made a Difference
- Mama Played Baseball
- Man vs. Beast (Cherub)
- Mao: The Unknown Story
- Mao: The Unknown Story
- Men to Match My Mountains: The Opening of the Far West, 1840-1900
- Miss Alcott's E-mail: Yours for Reforms of All Kinds
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Rich Dad's Real Estate Advantages: Tax and Legal Secrets of Successful Real Estate Investors
- History: Fiction or Science
- Whole Cloth
- America's Constitution: A Biography
- Costuming from the Hip
- History: Fiction or Science
- Explorama's Amazon - A Journey Through The Rainforest Of Peru
- The Silk Weavers of Kyoto: Family and Work in a Changing Traditional Industry
- Allianz and the German Insurance Business, 1933-1945
- Brokeback Mountain: Story to Screenplay