Rating: 
Summary: For Young & Old -- Sage Advice Will Save you Years
Review: Per the Gallup Organization, the net loss in productivity to western business because of poorly-managed culture ( lack of a strong leadership brand ) is greater than the sum spent on national defense & education combined !! Attention executives, in light of this fact, can you now smell the MONEY ?!?! The REAL buried treasure in 21st century business is just being discovered: Human Capital. READ ON...As I write this, I am a mid-life, mid-career professional who, like so many, spent the 90's as an I.T. consultant working inside of several very old corporate cultures that each literally "went into shock" as the 90's wrought its mischief upon them. The sum of my experience can best be stated in this one simple sentence: I should have kept all my college tuition money and read about 5 to 10 books like D'Alessandro's instead. I'd be a lot better off. Though D'Alessandro's target audience is the private-sector ladder-climber careerist (up=success, anything else=underachievement), his advice will still benefit even the most gutless of "keep your head down, yes-boss, yes-boss, yes-boss" corporate weenies. D'Alessandro is all meat & potatoes, with a book that's powerfully candid, RICH with sage advice, and directly applicable to all regardless of career or personality styles. The corporate beast is quite an amazing animal. Colleges should make it mandatory for all seniors to attend a "finishing school" where once and for all they get told the REAL "facts of life" as it relates to power, privilege, and success. As it stands, colleges continue to produce graduates that are naive, and sadly will waste 10 or more precious years being exploited by a pervasive yet invisible pathology that is horrifically accepted as a "normal" part of organizational life. It pains me to say I was nearly age 40 before I finally accepted that even the best corporations (for the most part) are NOT meritocracies. Oh well, better late than never. D'Alessandro's work makes for yet another good reason for workers to be VERY judicious about the companies that they work for. Unhealthy cultures are cancerous to one's career and spirit. If you are inside an organization that is pathologically retrofitting Industrial Age workforce management practices against its Knowledge Workers (which at this stage in history still means MOST of them) -- then sadly, Machiavelli & Sun-Tzu are probably kindred spirits. Pathology in organizations can be minimized and win-win outcomes maximized, as long as executive management is totally committed to culture management as a fiduciary responsibility (precious few though they are, but the number is slowly growing). And that means raising up managers that are trained to build people & culture, not just be technically excellent in their craft (finance, logistics, etc) while obsessively controlling the purse-strings and mindlessly repeating the word "no". Going forward, instead of striking at the heels of the dragon with a lance & sword, use D'Alessandro's advice to strike at the dragon's head with a 20 megaton atomic bomb. Read this book and shave YEARS off your career goals. Additional recommended reading: Art Kleiner "Who Really Matters", and see my other reviews.
Rating: 
Summary: Too general - nothing special
Review: The book gives very general and common advice. Advice looks dress well etc is not the kind of advice people expect from such a book. May be the author was trying to write the book for a very wide and general audience. Decent book for someone in the initial phases of career. For experienced readers, "The 5 patterns of extraordinary careers" is a much better book.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensable guide to building your professional reputation
Review: The main premise behind Career Warfare is that one should approach building their own reputation the same way that companies approach building their brand - thoughtfully and methodically, not forgetting for a moment that having a terrific brand is the key to success. This book trains you to be conscious of how your actions, words, and even appearance have a direct impact on your brand.
The book, written by David F. D'Alessandro (with Michele Owens), has a decidedly practical tone. Mr. D'Alessandro draws upon his numerous professional experiences (including both successes and mistakes), as well as many colorful examples from the world of business and politics, to create in effect a handbook for building your reputation. Reading this book is akin to having a frank conversation with a seasoned mentor who is willing to give you candid advice on how the world of business really works and warn you about the multitude of potential pitfalls.
The different parts of this book will apply to different stages in your professional life: starting from the very beginning with instructions on building credibility in your very first job to the summit of your career, coaching you on how to handle power and visibility and not get burned. Some of the other key lessons include "managing" your bosses, minding your manners, handling your enemies, navigating the day-to-day corporate jungle, and dealing with setbacks.
While it gives an excellent overview of the different issues and strategies to be aware of throughout your career, it only manages to scratch the surface of many subjects. Even though the book may sometimes lack depth, its conversational style, combined with key points highlighted and singled out throughout the book, makes it an enjoyable and highly digestible read.
Its limitations aside, Career Warfare is a book that I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in enhancing their personal brand - particularly, those who work (or plan to work) in a corporate environment. It is never too early (or too late) to start building or modifying your brand, and this book is an indispensable guide to doing so.
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