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Rating: 
Summary: A good book with some common sense
Review: I bought the first edition of this book and just finished reading it. I found the first 4 chapters very helpful. The first chapter deals with roadblocks that we have that prevent us from meeting and speaking to people. The Second chapter, focused on removing those road blocks. The Third chapter focused on the benefits of attending events. The fourth chapter on Charm & Chutzpah was more motivational. I found That Ms Roane, does a good job of showing us roadblocks that we may have not even realized that we had. Once we have identified these issues we can go to work on removing them so that we can improve our business life. From the title of the book I was expecting a guide on manipulation. However, this book is far from that. It's mostly about presenting yourself in a positive light by showing interest in others while at the same time keeping focused on your goal of making business contacts. In this regard it's a positive book, because let's face it, most of us can see through manipulation, or insincerity. I didn't find all of the book applied to me at this time. For instance the sections on trade shows. However, this doesn't diminish the book, because it's a book that can be constantly refered to through different stages of your business life. This book focuses on business, but the skills are transferable to your personal life as well. Aslam Mohammed
Rating: 
Summary: I'm not interested in learning Yiddish
Review: I knew this book was not worth the paper it was printed on, when I saw in the appendix a Yiddish glossary! I mean, ethic and religious differences aside, why would I be interested in working a room speaking Yiddish? I did read through the book and found the content nothing but empty talk. Seriously, if you want improve your social skills, read the timeless classics by Dale Carnegie.
Rating: 
Summary: Good reminder list, but not well written
Review: I wish I could give this book less than a star because even 1 star is too generous for this book. The first chapter is quick to cite the important points in working a room (points that you can learn from just any other book on conversation) and the rest is just nonsensical repetition of the same facts again and again. All in all, the book has too many flaws and a too little new material to be of any value.
Rating: 
Summary: Own That Room ...!
Review: One of the greatest things about reading a book is that you can ask yourself for answers to questions that when you find the answers, your life will be better. This is one of those books. I remember years ago, before the first time that I read this book, I wondered about charismatic people, and how they really do it. This book is the answer. "How to Work the Room," is not just a great title for a book, it is also a great anchor, to guide you to focus upon all the social opportunities in one room, for the entire time that you are there. We all must network, to have others open doors for us, because this goes much further than our trying to condense an entire career into 5 seconds of introduction - it won't work. Here are some wonderful things you might learn: 1. You have just been introduced to someone at an event. And the introducer has left you with this person
For some, this can be awkward. But for those who read this book, you might begin by deciding that at the very least, you have in common the person who introduced the 2 of you. So you could say, "How do you know Sally?" This will get a conversation started. 2. You are going to a networking function, based upon the recommendation of someone who attends the same type of group, but in another city. And you have some hesitations
A great way to be prepared is to spend a half hour the day before, writing down what you are going to, the purpose of the meeting, the time to be there, how long, and a few other notes. This will put you in a great frame of mind to connect with others there.
3. You think that small talk is phony, and you hope nobody will try it on you
Small talk is appropriate for networking meetings. It also prevents you from having to come up with a lot to say. With small talk, you are actually opening the door to find out what others are interested in. Which will help you to keep the topic on them, and away from you. And this will keep you relaxed, not to mention welcomed in their eyes. This book has many hilarious examples that everyone can relate to, and use to practice owning that room.
Rating:
Summary: Mostly Fluff
Review: Susan has some good concepts about socializing, & especially her section about socializing online. That's a unique angle...
Rating:
Summary: good review of etiquette
Review: There is nothing new here, but the author provides a good review of the timeless and obvious - yet oft forgotten - manners and etiquette of professional and formal social interaction. I listened to the Audible version narrated by the author and I would recommend all professionals listen to it once a year or so...
Rating:
Summary: Dribble
Review: This book contains 18 chapters. Of those, I'd say some 5 are filled with the information you'd expect. The book actually starts of quite well, analyzing the reasons why people have difficulties mingling and what to do about them. This part of the book really helped me overcome some of my shyness and move out to people. And that certainly made life easier and more fun! However, I wished there would've been more of this and less of the rest. After that the book seems to go all over the place. Chatrooms, Etiquette, public speaking, Yiddish dictionary, general life philosophy... you name it! My advice: try some other books first.
Rating:
Summary: Very Basic
Review: This book will probably be helpful if you want an easy-to-read guide to the very basics of networking and socializing. She lays out intuitive, easy-to-follow lists of rules and principles, such as how some of the manners you were taught as a child can become obstacles to meeting people, like, don't talk to strangers. And she perscribes some easy-to-remember, non-threatening tactics for overcoming these fears, such as questions like "I've never been to one of these meetings before. Is there always such a good turnout?" But I found that most of her major points were fairly common sense. Is it really that helpful to know that arrogance, not listening and poor hygiene will impair your ability to meet people? Or that you should bring business cards to a professional event? If you feel your social skills are really at ground zero and you need help getting started, this will be a useful guide. But if you're looking for more advanced techniques and ideas for to engage people and loosening yourself up, it's way too easy. It certainly didn't change my life. I'm now reading Bernardo Carducci's book, "Shyness". It has a much more theoretical and holistic approach--I'll post a review on that book's page as soon as I finish it.
Rating:
Summary: People who love people
Review: Who would want to "work a room"? Someone trying to sell something, maybe? If you're not selling anything overtly, this book will not be of interest. I say overtly because, as someone once pointed out, we're all selling something, but we need not do so overtly or manifestly. But by our behavior. Actions and words and all. This book, and others like it, all have us looking outward for gratification, basically from other people, people "in the room." "In the room" can be a metaphor for the "in crowd." Do you want in with the in crowd? Maybe you'll learn some tools from this book. Then again, you might do better looking inward at yourself. Listen to one of the great modern inward-seekers, Vernon Howard (excuse the gender specificity, it's an old book): "A man owes nothing to any other human being on earth except to be himself, but since few see this, most men stagger under the burdensome debt of artificial behavior. It is a tragic illusion that we can do anything for others before we have done something for ourselves." The writer of "How to work a room" is essentially focusing on how to improve your artificial behavior. Diximus.
Rating:
Summary: People who love people
Review: Who would want to "work a room"? Someone trying to sell something, maybe? If you're not selling anything overtly, this book will not be of interest. I say overtly because, as someone once pointed out, we're all selling something, but we need not do so overtly or manifestly. But by our behavior. Actions and words and all. This book, and others like it, all have us looking outward for gratification, basically from other people, people "in the room." "In the room" can be a metaphor for the "in crowd." Do you want in with the in crowd? Maybe you'll learn some tools from this book. Then again, you might do better looking inward at yourself. Listen to one of the great modern inward-seekers, Vernon Howard (excuse the gender specificity, it's an old book): "A man owes nothing to any other human being on earth except to be himself, but since few see this, most men stagger under the burdensome debt of artificial behavior. It is a tragic illusion that we can do anything for others before we have done something for ourselves." The writer of "How to work a room" is essentially focusing on how to improve your artificial behavior. Diximus.
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