Rating: 
Summary: I can't believe I bought this book!
Review: Perhaps a one-on-one session with Peggy Klaus may get great results through personal coaching; this material does not play well in book form. The messages are trite and over-simplified and the "bragisms" just keep flowing in form of foolish buzz words the author hopes will somehow catch on.
If you have problems with self-confidence or verbalizing your accomplishments, get a personal coach and taylor the methods to suit you. This one-brag-fits-all book offers no insights into yourself you couldn't get from looking in the mirror...
Rating: 
Summary: Keep on Tootin?
Review: Probably most people were taught three principles early on in life: Obey the golden rule, don't pick up hitchhikers, and let other people praise you. Author Peggy Klaus can't help you with the first two, but she debunks the third principle. Just what is bragging? Or put more properly, WHEN is bragging bragging and when is it taking advantage of opportunities? According to Klaus, there's a time and a place for proper bragging. Bragging (or "self-promotion") can be practiced in and out of the office. It can help you get better assignments, better pay, better recognition, better relationships, and more. But you have to do it properly... Klaus show us first how NOT to brag, citing many examples of failed bragging and how to correct them. When practiced correctly, the principles of BRAG can help you communicate your talents without coming across as obnoxious. Recommended. 193 pages
Rating:
Summary: Keep on Tootin¿
Review: Probably most people were taught three principles early on in life: Obey the golden rule, don't pick up hitchhikers, and let other people praise you. Author Peggy Klaus can't help you with the first two, but she debunks the third principle. Just what is bragging? Or put more properly, WHEN is bragging bragging and when is it taking advantage of opportunities? According to Klaus, there's a time and a place for proper bragging. Bragging (or "self-promotion") can be practiced in and out of the office. It can help you get better assignments, better pay, better recognition, better relationships, and more. But you have to do it properly... Klaus show us first how NOT to brag, citing many examples of failed bragging and how to correct them. When practiced correctly, the principles of BRAG can help you communicate your talents without coming across as obnoxious. Recommended. 193 pages
Rating:
Summary: If you want to find or keep a job, you better learn to BRAG
Review: This book is an essential tool for anyone trying to find their way back into today's tough job market. Klaus helps you identify what is intriguing about your strengths and career path and teaches you how to promote yourself in a fun and interesting way. So many of us are unprepared to skillfully speak about our accomplishments that we miss great opportunities right under our nose. We hope that our work will speak for itself or someone else will sing our praises so we won't have to. Don't count on it! Buy this book and learn how to "do it yourself".
Rating:
Summary: You . . . Conveyed as a Story Relevant to Others
Review: This book won't cure cancer, but it sure will overcome a lot of missed connections among people with valuable knowledge, experiences and talents who could be sharing them with one another. Ms. Klaus argues persuasively that most of us don't put our best foot forward, out of a desire not to seem like braggarts. In the process, we look worse than we really are . . . and no one really cares. Careers, relationships and opportunities languish as a result. Most people would like to present themselves better, and would concede that point. What's good about this book is that it is filled with practical advice for turning yourself into an interesting and relevant brief story for those you meet. The heart of the book is the Take 12 self-examination where you start developing what's potentially interesting and relevant about you to share with others. Then, there's lots of advice for how to customize that material into 30 second (for elevator conversations) to 3 minute (for selling or interview intros) versions that fit your audience at the moment. If you only read that section and did the exercises there, you would more than get your value from this book. The book begins with Ms. Klaus challenging myths about bragging (such as jobs being well done speaking for themselves, and good girls don't brag) by looking at actual experiences where the results of those myths were harmful for those who acted on them. Quickly, attention shifts in chapter 2 to "What So Good about You" and there's more there in the Take 12 than you probably appreciate now. Most of the rest of the chapters address specific situations such as how to behave in the office (even if you are a tele-commuter), handling job interviews, being in performance reviews, using voice mail and e-mails, when you are not employed, and when you are self-employed. For professionals who work on their own, chapter 8 which addresses the last subject can be worth a fortune to you. I thought it was very well done. Then the book moves back into overviews (chapter 9 is on brag nags to keep you focused and chapter 10 has a self-confession by the author and 12 tooting tips). If you've ever felt awkward in advancing your own views or interests in any of these situations, take a look at this book. You will probably find helpful ideas that you'll be comfortable following. In the course of my business career, I've had occasion to meet many successful people. Almost all of them follow the kind of gentle, discreet communications approaches described here. So I can testify that this approach must work for getting to the top!
Rating:
Summary: Yes- Brag
Review: This is an amusing, informative book advising people how to self-promote. I read the book, and then put into practice what was taught for some telephone promotion for raising funds for a non-profit organization that I work with. It was amazing how the technique Ms. Klaus advised encouraged the return of calls previously ignored. I was so pleased. As well, it is fun to read, making you chuckle throughout. She is a great educator.
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