Influence Without Authority

Rating:
Summary: I'm outraged!
Review: First of all, shame on the women who gave this book glowing reviews on the first few pages! I was completely shocked (had to re-read the passages several times) by the authors suggestion that a woman who was sexually approached by a co-worker basicallly overreacted by becoming angry, and that she should have instead interpreted the pass as his awkward attempt to "find some way to connect with her. Might she have deflected the pass but turned the attempt into something more suitable to a collegial work relationship?"(page126) Give me a break! I can't believe that this example of gaining influence over people ever made it past the editor. And if that wasn't bad enough, they again insulted women on page 226, when they explain that a women ponders her failure in a management role by saying "I still haven't figured out why they allowed a female - especially one without an engineering background - to manage the project". What?!? I had to check the front of the book to see if it was published in the 60s! Besides these profoundly ignorant examples, I found the book to be less than marginal in developing my ability to influence those around me. I'll look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: I'm outraged!
Review: First of all, shame on the women who gave this book glowing reviews on the first few pages! I was completely shocked (had to re-read the passages several times) by the authors suggestion that a woman who was sexually approached by a co-worker basicallly overreacted by becoming angry, and that she should have instead interpreted the pass as his awkward attempt to "find some way to connect with her. Might she have deflected the pass but turned the attempt into something more suitable to a collegial work relationship?"(page126) Give me a break! I can't believe that this example of gaining influence over people ever made it past the editor. And if that wasn't bad enough, they again insulted women on page 226, when they explain that a women ponders her failure in a management role by saying "I still haven't figured out why they allowed a female - especially one without an engineering background - to manage the project". What?!? I had to check the front of the book to see if it was published in the 60s! Besides these profoundly ignorant examples, I found the book to be less than marginal in developing my ability to influence those around me. I'll look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Good info on how to be effective in team-based organizations
Review: This book covers how to use the natural human laws of reciprocity with others in your organization to achieve maximum productivity. More importantly the book also promotes the attitude of looking on everyone in your organization as allies (people you like) and potential allies (people you don't). Highly recommended.