|
 Little useful content, master of the obvious
This book was part of a class taught by the author. The class and the book are complete fluff. This book could conceivably be condensed into 25 to 50 pages and still make the same points.
OK...But...A ***LOT*** of FLUFF!
Not a bad book. It had some interesting pointers...BUT...as the title suggests... A LOT OF FLUFF!!!
It's not bad for the price (I URGE you to get a cheap USED copy)... but the same author has a MUCH stronger book called "Networking Smart". Very Good!
I gave this one star for the content... what was there, anyway.
 The real scoop on "networking"
There are numerous books on "networking," with titles like "how to work a room." The theme is to get lots of names of people that you can call when you want to sell them something.Wayne Baker is a respected researcher of social networks. This book gives a step-by-step method of analyzing one's own social networks and through them, learning more about oneself. These social networks are not groups of people that you socialize with, but rather the core people that make up your life, your family, your co-workers and others. Having diverse social networks is a good indicator of many metrics of success and happiness. People with diverse social networks make more money, get promoted faster, ... they even get fewer colds. But how diverse is your social network? How can you improve it? This book shows how to figure it out and teaches about social networks while doing it.
 In like a lion out like a lamb
After an interesting and thoughtful start in Chapter 1 - I found the rest of this work to be very light and not very useful.I read several other books in an effort to hone my corporate political skills in addition to this one, including 'NetWorlding' and 'PeopleSmart' before finding one that had the depth and subject treatment I was looking for. Check out 'The Secret Handshake' by Kathleen Kelley Reardon, Ph.D.that's my take - loopster - Chicago
"Potential" Means "You Ain't Done It Yet"
This volume is one in the University of Michigan Business School Management Series. As Baker explains in the Executive Summary, "This book guides you through the process of evaluating, building, and using social capital." With precision and eloquence, Baker focuses on HOW to take full advantage of what he calls "hidden resources" in both personal and business networks. For example, in ideas, leads, business opportunities, financial capital, power and influence, emotional support, even goodwill, trust, and cooperation. Social capital consists of who you know, who knows you, and shared opportunities for you and them to derive mutual benefit. "The goal of building social capital as an organizational competence is the same as building it as an individual competence -- to increase the ability to achieve goals, fulfill missions, and make positive contributions to the world." Throughout the book's five chapters, Baker answers questions such as these:* What is social capital? * Why can it be so important to you? * How to measure and evaluate your social capital? * What are the most effective strategies for building entrepreneurial networks? (Baker suggests 30.) * How to derive greatest benefit from your own social capital? * How to build social capital as a competence within your organization? If you seek answers to questions such as these, this book is "must reading."
|
(based on 6 reviews)
