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Not just a book review! - And one more thing "Happy 57th Birthday Steve Jobs!"

karin@mannersandcareer.com (Karin Schroeck-Singh) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 06:26:12 GMT

"You will not like it. It's too technical and depressing!"

Someone said this to me ... who actually did not even read the book and just listened to and read some other peoples’ book reviews.....

Well I never thought that .....

* I would be reading a 600 page biography....

* I would be reading about an IT (marketing) high-profile professional ...

* It would take me only a month to read it ...

* It would be such as interesting book that gives me so many different insights into his personal as well as professional life......

and to be honest

I did not perceive it as too technical and depressing at all!

It was in a bookstore at Khan Market, here in New Delhi, where I noticed Steve Jobs’s biography exposed twice in the same shop window. I remember that I loved reading biographies when I was in my twenties but mostly about sports professionals.

One day I started reading the preview of the eBook version on my iPad and I felt that as an Apple user this would be a must read for me. (I would like to mention here that it was my Apple enthusiastic husband who convinced me to switch from a PC to an Apple Computer some time ago. Believe me, once you use an Apple Computer you will fall in love with it and you do not want to go back to a PC using Microsoft Windows anymore!)

I decided to buy the book not from the bookstore but to order it online from www.flipkart.com which gave me a better deal (since Amazon does not deliver to India!). I received it on the 31st December 2011 in my mail and I finished reading it on the 30th January 2012.

I must say that it was very gripping. Every day I looked forward to read more and more. When I reached half of the book I already started feeling a bit sad because I knew that there were just 300 more pages left and I thought “I wished there would be another 600 pages more to read ...”

What I loved

* The deep insight into his corporate as well as personal life.

It covered so many different stages of Steve’s life, such as his adoption, his college experiences, his emotional and family life, his music heroes, his trip to India, the way how he set up and run different companies, how certain corporate issues have been solved, how meetings have been conducted, how different people got the idea for creating certain revolutionary products, how much planning went into building Apple stores the way he liked it, what he was looking for in new hires, how he prepared his New Product Release Presentations, his relationship with business partners, employees, friends etc., dealing with advertising agencies, negotiating with competitors, how it felt being kicked out of his own company and then being taken on board again and last but not least his health problems.

* The comparison between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

It was very interesting to read about their differences. (This in itself would be another great book to read one day!)

* The summary on page 565 and 567 that summarises his very impressive key achievements.

Steve Jobs’s personality - 41 character traits

After reading his biography I remember that he has been perceived as:

passionate
(brutally) honest
definitely persuasive
manipulative
creative
innovative
different
focused
detail-oriented
results-driven
stubborn
obsessed
intuitive
straightforward
charming with women
very sensitive
ambitious
demanding
rude
impatient
with a sense of aesthetic
hard working
design loving
simple
minimalistic
modest
visionary
strategic
optimistic
egotistical
spiritual
rebellious
risk-taking
fruit fanatic
dictatorial
critical
smart
charismatic
controlling
quality-conscious
dedicated

The most memorable parts from this book for me personally

There are many memorable parts in this thick book, some funny, some interesting, some sad, some revealing, some inspiring, some insightful ... Even though initially I wanted to disclose my favourite 15 stories I decided not to reveal too much and just encourage the reader to read and buy the book (even if you are not a Mac user!!!)

What I missed in the book

* A bit more about the relationship or stories of Steve and his children.
* I often heard about Guy Kawasaki (a former Apple employee and genuine Apple Evangelist, great book author and much more!) but he was just mentioned once very briefly. I wonder why that was the case.
* While every Apple product that has been released in the past was mentioned, the “Apple TV” was not mentioned at all. It would have been interesting to know a bit more about it.

The Lessons I learnt

* Lesson 1:

MOTIVATION BY PRAISE is not always the most effective way to get the best out of people.

I was a strong believer in MOTIVATION BY PRAISE (I’ve even published a book in German about the power of praise as a motivational tool) but after reading this book I realised that praise is obviously good but it does not always necessarily bring out THE UNIMAGINABLE from people. The book author Walter Isaacson often mentioned that Steve Jobs was very critical and often used to say to people’s proposals, suggestions, ideas etc. sentences such as “This is shit!” Well, it showed that many people who dealt with Steve took it as an encouragement to do things they never dreamed possible, rather than being offended. And often the end result showed that those people were able to think beyond their imagination and finally came up with fantastic solutions, products etc.

(At this point I would like to mention an episode that I experienced myself some months ago when giving a presentation. I was talking about “German Business Etiquette” at a big organisation in New Delhi and I forwarded my presentation to the Deputy Director some days before the event. The reply I got was “Please make it more meaningful, many of these executives have already dealt with German companies”. Apart from the fact that nobody told me that, I had to restructure my whole presentation since I thought my audience was not much aware of German culture and business etiquette. Apart from that I thought this female Deputy Director never heard me presenting, this person doesn’t even know what the content includes, how can she ask me to make it more meaningful? By the way, it was also a speech for which I did not get paid for. I kept Steve Jobs’ presentation style in mind.... few slides, few words, more big visuals.... Well, I was surprised about her comment BUT in hindsight I must say that if she would not have given me that feedback, I would have not presented it the way I did. I had to change my whole strategy but it helped me to turn it into one of my best speeches ever, if not the best. I presented my content like a scenario and I was able to involve the audience from the first second....... It showed me that YES, if you want to IMPRESS, never be satisfied with the first version of things you do or create! You can indeed do better! In the future whenever I work on something important for which I need approval from someone else I imagine Steve Jobs whispering into my ear “This is shit!” and I’m going to challenge myself a bit further.

* Lesson 2:

Less is definitely more (for many things in life). Keep it simple, easy, minimalistic, user-friendly, elegant. In other words “Simple is better”, or in Apple words “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

* Lesson 3:

The reality distortion field - think beyond what is possible no matter what it takes and what other people say.

* Lesson 4:

Hold presentations the way Steve did it.

Use slides but keep it short regarding words and use more visual pictures. It makes it easier for the audience to follow and remember. Focus on how you sell your message to your audience. His wording during his presentations was often just more than brilliant! (By the way, there is another book and a video on Youtube that just focuses on his presentation skills techniques!)

* Lesson 5:

You don’t always need to ...

be a graduate
be well-mannered all the times
be dressed always in a professional way (once you reach a certain level on your career ladder you can afford to be dressed simple and casual too, and sell it as your brand image)
smell like a rose anytime
be nice to everyone

TO BECOME AN ICON if you work hard and have an unshakeable passion. I must say in this regard Steve Jobs was an exception! Real life often still tells you something else.

How would I rate it?

I would give it a 9 out of 10.

I would have given it a "10" if ......

* it would have included more pictures of himself and his family.

* it would have included also more pictures of other main characters (there were a considerable amount of people mentioned). I must say that it was easy to remember the names when I also saw a picture in the book (e.g. his wife Laurene, John Lasseter, Steve Wozniak, John Sculley, Jony Ive etc.). But often it happened to me that while I was reading I forgot who was who because there was no picture. But I found it really good that at the beginning of the book a list of all main characters with a short description was provided. I never saw that in a book before. However, a picture of each of them would have made it even greater and more memorable while reading the book.

* it would have been an entirely multimedia book. THAT WOULD HAVE MADE IT OUTSTANDING!!!! It was one of Steve Jobs’s mottos “THINK DIFFERENT”. This book would have truly reflected his credo. Including audio and video of: interviews conducted with many of his family members, friends, acquaintances, business partners and colleagues etc; public discussions, product presentations, Apple advertising ads etc. instead of reading it just as text, as a hardcopy book. Maybe including some Youtube video links would have been a good idea. I found some interesting stuff on youtube that was mentioned in the book and it was really great watching it while reading the book.

A multimedia version of this book would have been a truly “different” experience for the audience in which one can read, listen to and watch. I would have loved it that way, even though I must admit that when I read books I always highlight certain parts in the book. This allows me to find what I’m looking for in a more effective way later on.

And one more thing ....

Today (24 February 2012) Steve Jobs would have turned 57 years....

Thanks Steve, the world still misses you....

Dear Steve,

The world would like to wish you

a Happy 57th Birthday !

Veels geluk met jou verjaarsdag! (Afrikaans)

Urime ditelindjen! (Albanian)

Gueter geburtsdaa! (Alsatian)

Melkam lidet! (Amharic)

Eid milaad saed! (Arabic)

Taredartzet shnorhavor! (Armenian)

Eida D’moladukh Hawee Brikha! (Assyrian)

Ois guade winsch i dia zum Gbuadsdog! (Austrian dialect)

Suma Urupnaya Cchuru Uromankja! (Aymara, Bolivia)

Ad gununuz mubarek! (Azerbaijani)

Zorionak! (Basque)

Ungil el cherellem! (Belauan-Micronesian)

Shuvo Jonmodin! (Bengali)

Maogmang Pagkamundag! (Bicol, Philippines)

Hapi betde! (Bislama)

ParabZns a voc! (Brazil)

Deiz-ha-bloaz laouen deoc’h! (Breton)

Chestit Rojden Den! (Bulgarian)

Som owie nek mein aryouk yrinyu! (Cambodian)

Per molts anys! (Catalan)

Sun Yat Fai Lok! (Chinese-Cantonese)

Qu ni sheng er kuai le (Chinese-Mandarin)

Sretan Rodendan! (Croatian)

Vsechno nejlepsi k Tyzm narozeninam!!! (Czech)

Tillykke med fodselsdagen! (Danish)

Hartelijk gefeliciteerd! (Dutch)

Happy birthday! (English)

Felichan Naskightagon! (Esperanto)

Palju onne sunnipaevaks! (Estonian)

Zorionak zure urtebetetze egunean! (Euskera)

Tavalodet Mobarak! (Farsi)

Hyvaa syntymapaivaa! (Finnish)

Bonne Fete! (French, Canada)

Joyeux Anniversaire! (French)

Co’ latha breith sona dhuibh! (Gaelic, Scottish)

Ledicia no teu cumpreanos! (Galician, Spain)

Gilotcav dabadebis dges! (Georgian)

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! (German)

Eytyxismena Genethlia! (Greek)

Inuuinni pilluarit! (Greenlandic)

Saal Mubarak! (Gujrati, Pakistan)

Hau’oli la hanau! (Hawaiian)

Yom Huedet Same’ach! (Hebrew)

Masadya gid nga adlaw sa imo pagkatawo! (Hiligaynon, Philippines)

Janam Din ki badhai! (Hindi)

Boldog szuletesnapot! (Hungarian)

Til hamingju med afmaelisdaginn! (Icelandic)

Selamat Uang Tahun! (Indonesian)

La-breithe mhaith agat! (Irish, gaelic)

Buon Compleanno! (Italian)

Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu! (Japanese)

Slamet Ulang Taunmoe! (Javaans, Indonesia)

Bouon Anniversaithe! (Jerriais)

Tughan kuninmen! (Kazakh, Kazakstan)

Saeng il chuk ha ham ni da! (Korean)

Rojbun a te piroz be! (Kurdish)

Fortuna dies natalis! (Latin)

Daudz laimes dzimsanas diena! (Latvian)

Sveikinu su gimtadieniu! (Lithuanian)

Nkwagaliza amazalibwa go amalungi! (Luganda)

Vill Gleck fir daei Geburtsdaag! (Luxembourgeois)

Selemat Hari Jadi! (Malaysian)

Nifrahlek ghal gheluq sninek! (Maltese)

Mo swet u en bonlaniverser! (Mauritian Kreol)

Torson odriin mend hurgee! (Mongolian)

Janma dhin ko Subha kamana! (Nepali)

Gratulerer med dagen! (Norwegian)

Tavalodet Mobarak! (Persian)

Wszystkiego Najlepszego! (Polish)

Feliz Aniversario! (Portuguese)

La Multi Ani! (Romanian)

S dniom razhdjenia! (Russian)

Vill Glueck zum Geburri! (Swiss German)

Srecan Rodjendan! (Serbian)

Vsetko najlepsie k narodeninam! (Slovak)

Vse najboljse za rojstni dan! (Slovene)

Feliz Cumplea-os! (Spanish)

Suba Upan dinayak vewa! (Sri Lankan)

Wilujeng Tepang Taun! (Sundanese)

Mi fresteri ju! (Surinamese)

Honera! (Swahili)

Grattis pOE fsdelsedagen (Swedish)

Tahnyotho! (Syriac)

San leaz quiet lo! (Taiwanese)

Suk San Wan Keut! (Thai)

Droonkher Tashi Delek! (Tibetan)

Dogum gunun kutlu olsun! (Turkish)

Mnohiya lita! (Ukranian)

Janam Din Mubarak (Urdu, India)

Chuc Mung Sinh Nhat! (Vietnamese)

Malipayong adlaw nga natawhan! (Visayan, Philippines)

Penblwydd Hapus i Chi! (Welsh)

Eku Ojobi! (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Ilanga elimndandi kuwe! (Zulu, South Africa)

c 2011 Karin Schroeck-Singh

Videos: Doing a deal in India, part 1 and 2

karin@mannersandcareer.com (Karin Schroeck-Singh) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:37:24 GMT

www.theprotocolinstitute.com

c 2011 Karin Schroeck-Singh

"Poised for Success" by Jacqueline Whitmore - 8 Things I love about her book

karin@mannersandcareer.com (Karin Schroeck-Singh) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:41:45 GMT

Title of the book: Poised for Success - Mastering the 4 Qualities that distinguish outstanding professionals

Author: Jacqueline Whitmore

Year of Publication: 2011

Publishing House: St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 978-0-312-60032-7

Number of Pages: 178

Price: List price: $ 21.99, on Amazon.com for $ 14.20 maximum

Content:

Part 1: PRESENCE

(Poise is presence personified, package yourself for success, the well-dressed man, the well-dressed woman, sound advice, discover and create your personal brand)

Part 2: POLISH

(Networking not working?, foster friendships instead, cultivate your VIP Relationships, hone your business hospitality skills, entertain with elegance and ease, be the world’s best guest)

Part 3: PROFESSIONALISM

(Social Media Essentials, the Likability Factor, follow through or fall back, seven unwritten rules every professional needs to know, listening: the lost link in a loud world)

Part 4: PASSION

(Rise and shine, gratitude, grace, and acts of kindness, for the health of it, fashion your life with passion)

8 Things I loved in this book:

* The best part of the book are the personal stories and experiences shared by the author throughout the book. They were very interesting, memorable and worth being passed on to other people. Some stories I had to share with my husband straight away while reading the book. It’s highly interesting to read about the author’s upbringing and career, the mistakes she made, the strategies she applied to achieve different goals, how she met her husband and what she learnt from it, how she looked for a VIP to promote her first etiquette book “Business Class”, why she buys from certain shops, how she uses and benefits from Social Media Websites, how she got corporate clients to train their staff, some exercises she used during her seminars to challenge the audience a bit more etc.)

* The idea of consulting other experts from other industries (e.g. an image consultant, a wine expert and many more) and including their opinion, added value to the book and enriched it in a particular way.

* It’s not just “an etiquette book”. It presents a mixture of very interesting topics that will help you to become generally more successful, such as:

- Image (the way you look, you behave and you talk; what your car, your resume, your business card, your photograph, your stationery, your workspace and your website/blog site says about you)

- Etiquette (how to be a great host and guest, how to be thoughtful, table manners and much more)

- How to excel in customer service

- How to conduct a healthier and happier life (this part reminded me a bit of Joel Osteen’s credo),

- The power of active listening

- How to build good relationships online and offline

- How to look, act and sound more professional (how to promote yourself more effectively)

* The author also provided some really good examples when it comes to:

The unwritten rules in a work environment
How to approach a VIP and achieve your goal
The analysis of famous women and men from past and present and what they did in order to stand out
How to offer extraordinary customer service
The cost per wearing amortizing method (why quality not quantity matters when purchasing clothes)
How to tell a person’s background by asking a simple question

* Every chapter provided at the beginning some good quotes.

* Often interesting results from various studies, statistics and facts have been included throughout the book. Those parts were well researched and definitely helped to make the author’s statements even more meaningful.

* She mastered it very well to sell her expertise in an effective, natural way without appearing too self-promoting.

* The author talks about “how to cultivate ‘creative manners’ by providing some examples of how to go above and beyond what is expected of you. This was the final chapter and a very good conclusion.

How would I rate it?

I would give it a 9.9 out of 10.

I would have given it a 10 if ...

...it would have included some pictures or illustrations in Part 1, chapter 3, “The Well-dressed man”. For me personally (from a woman’s perspective) it would have been easier to understand certain concepts when it comes to men’s fashion.

“I’ve read many books in my life but only this book was able to make me take action so quickly on certain things that were long overdue in my personal as well as professional life. This is a brilliant resource for any business professional who wants to make an impact on other people and stand out from the crowd. Highly recommendable!”

(Karin Schroeck-Singh, Director of Soft Skills Edge and the Blogcaster of “The Manners and Career Blogcast”)

www.theprotocolinstitute.com

c 2011 Karin Schroeck-Singh

Etiquette Video: How to follow proper Business Etiquette in India

karin@mannersandcareer.com (Karin Schroeck-Singh) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:42:43 GMT

www.theprotocolinstitute.com

c 2011 Karin Schroeck-Singh

My personal etiquette book review "Everyday Etiquette" by Patricia Rossi

karin@mannersandcareer.com (Karin Schroeck-Singh) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:07:41 GMT

* Book Title: “Everyday Etiquette - How to Navigate 101 Common and Uncommon Social Situations”

* Book Author: Patricia Rossi (www.patriciarossi.com)

* Publishing House: St. Martin’s Press

* Year of publication: September 2011

* ISBN N.: 978-0-312-60427-1

* Price: $ 14.99

Content:

Test your Etiquette IQ (15 multiple choice questions with answers)
Introduction
Introducing Yourself (The Approach, proper introductions, body language, what to say, the handshake)
Communicating with Confidence (cell phones, email, text messaging, making conversation, name game, politely ending a conversation, responding to gossip)
Social Media in Modern Times (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Skype, YouTube, Blogging)
Table Manners (bread and soup courses, entrees: Continental/American, dinner parties: host and guest responsibilities, banquets and buffets, taboo table topics, wine etiquette, toasts)
Business Matters (Business cards, business lunches: host and guest responsibilities, casual Friday, conferencing: business meetings/teleconferences/videoconferences, home office, interview necessities, networking-building new and lasting relationships, office cubicles, office parties)
Children (Help your child shine!, Play Dates: Host and Guest responsibilities, sleepovers, children’s birthday parties: guest and host responsibilities, back-to-school success, sportsmanship, ghoulishly good manners for Halloween, social etiquette and respect for others, Thank-you Notes your kids will love writing)
Petiquette (the Dog Park, Pets and Travel, Visiting the Veterinarians’ Office, Service Animal Etiquette, Cat Owner Etiquette)
Travel (airplane/airport etiquette, bed- and breakfast, camping, cruises, hotels, how to be a great host, how to be a great houseguest, traveling by train)
Giving and Receiving Gifts (Gift Giving, Receiving Gifts, Regifting)
Invitations, Sympathy Cards, and Thank-You Notes (Evites, Invitations/RSVP Etiquette, Sympathy Cards, Thank-You Notes)
Out and About (Art Museums, Beach Day, Boating, Concerts, Dating Dos and Don’ts, Fragrance in public, getting around, the grocery store, the Gym, Hospital Visits, Internet Cafe and Wi-fi manners, mingle, movie theaters, new neighbors, poolside, Spas, Tattoo Studios, the theater/performing arts Center, Theme Parks, tips on tipping, tobacconist tips for the Cigar Enthusiast, the Zoo)
Sports (Championship Game Parties: Super Bowl/World Series etc.), Golf, NASCAR, Poker, Skyboxes, Stadiums, Tailgating, Tennis, Triathlons)
Encouragement in Tough Times (Bad News and How to Handle it, job loss or bankruptcy, funerals, illness/unfavorable Medical diagnosis)
Celebrations (anniversaries, bridal and baby showers, graduations, religious Birth and Coming-of-Age Ceremonies, quinceaneras and Sweet Sixteens, weddings).

Questions and Answers (it answers 13 interesting etiquette dilemmas)

* What I particularly liked:

- The title says it all “Everyday Etiquette”. The book gives you numerous etiquette tips on dealing with friends, relatives, your children, your pets, acquaintances, visitors, work colleagues and the general public in various situations. Usually etiquette books are focused either on social etiquette or business etiquette only. This book is a good mix and covers both topics very well.

- The author shares at the beginning of each chapter a personal experience. Some are very good stories while others are okay.

- There are some etiquette topics that - even for Etiquette Professionals - would be new, such as: Tobacconist Tips for the Cigar Enthusiast, etiquette Tips on: Poker, Skyboxes, Triathlons, NASCAR races, Tattoo Studios, traveling on cruises, service animal etiquette etc.

- That there was an Etiquette Quiz at the beginning. Readers always love to test their Etiquette IQ.

- Every chapter had some illustrations that highlight the most important tips on a certain topic. It makes it more memorable for the reader.

- Some topics provided concrete examples, e.g. how to write an effective Thank-you note or sentences you should avoid when trying to comfort a person with a life-threatening disease.

- The Questions & Answers section at the end that answers very interesting etiquette dilemmas, e.g. how to unfriend someone on Facebook.

* How would I rate it?

I would give it a 9.5 out of 10.

* I would have given it a 10, if it ....

- would have included more personal stories and experiences throughout the book not just at the beginning of each chapter.

- would have had a conclusion at the end of the book. It ends with a Questions & Answer session which I find a bit abrupt.

The book could have provided:

- a final personal experience from the author that demonstrates that also nowadays manners DO matter

- repeated the same quiz that has been presented at the beginning. It would have allowed the reader to see how effective the lessons from the book have been. Have the mistakes in the first quiz (before reading the book) been avoided in the second, same quiz (after reading the book)?

"Make yourself or your friends, relatives and acquaintances a special gift this year..... buy Patricia's Rossi etiquette book! This might be the best investment you might have ever made in your own personal development. A book that teaches you how to feel at ease and confident in any social as well as professional situation." Karin Schroeck-Singh

www.theprotocolinstitute.com

c 2011 Karin Schroeck-Singh