Working While Black: The Black Person's Guide to Success in the White Workplace (Black Person's Guide)

Rating:
Summary: A Review of "Working While Black"
Review: Equal parts handbook, travelogue and self-help guide (in the best sense of the term), Johnson's book, "Working While Black" is must-have for any African-American employee in a predominantly white working environment.

With the aid of anecdotal evidence via oral history, Johnson brings to light issues of the working world that many blacks know but don't understand. Her use of short stories helps her illustrate the complexities that confront blacks in corporate settings with a brutal honesty that's been sorely absent from books by her peers.

Taking on issues of personal appearance, career paths, communication skills, networking and hiring practices, Johnson pulls no punches during her honest and thought-provoking examination of what it means to be black in corporate America.

Johnson also offers the reader way to identify with those whose stories are shared in her book. Issues of personality, family backgroung, cultural perspective and ambition are tackled here, too.

Johnson pointedly denies being an "expert" on racial/employment matters (a bit of candor refreshing in our racially-charged society). She seeks only to offer the benefit of her experience as a seasoned legal professional and to provide readers with the tools to make themselves aware of dynamics in their own places of business--from front desk to boardroom.

This book is for the young and the mature, the thriving and the disenfranchised. A perfect gift for anyone at any stage of their career. There are lessons here to be learned by everyone.

Rating:
Summary: I wish I had this book when I was first starting out!
Review: Equal parts handbook, travelogue and self-help guide (in the best sense of the term), Johnson's book, "Working While Black" is must-have for any African-American employee in a predominantly white working environment.

With the aid of anecdotal evidence via oral history, Johnson brings to light issues of the working world that many blacks know but don't understand. Her use of short stories helps her illustrate the complexities that confront blacks in corporate settings with a brutal honesty that's been sorely absent from books by her peers.

Taking on issues of personal appearance, career paths, communication skills, networking and hiring practices, Johnson pulls no punches during her honest and thought-provoking examination of what it means to be black in corporate America.

Johnson also offers the reader way to identify with those whose stories are shared in her book. Issues of personality, family backgroung, cultural perspective and ambition are tackled here, too.

Johnson pointedly denies being an "expert" on racial/employment matters (a bit of candor refreshing in our racially-charged society). She seeks only to offer the benefit of her experience as a seasoned legal professional and to provide readers with the tools to make themselves aware of dynamics in their own places of business--from front desk to boardroom.

This book is for the young and the mature, the thriving and the disenfranchised. A perfect gift for anyone at any stage of their career. There are lessons here to be learned by everyone.

Rating:
Summary: I wish I had this book when I was first starting out!
Review: Ms. Johnson's book is informative, humorous, and accessible. It provides some key insights for those who are just starting a career. It also provides a thought provoking look at familiar territory and experiences for those who have been out in the workforce, and have the battle scars to prove it. I wish I had her book when I was just starting out. While I've navigated my career well, with her book perhaps I would have made more employment savvy decisions. I'll definitely keep some of her points in mind as I move forward.

Rating:
Summary: Some useful advice, but too many anecdotes
Review: Some of Johnson's advice seems very helpful - particularly the parts on determining what your goals are for your career and becoming a "driver" to meet those goals. She also has advice on blending into your workforce environment or making the conscious choice not to do so. However, a large portion of this book is devoted to stories of her own or her friends' struggles in the workplace, which were interesting but not really helpful to me.
This book lost a star as well for me because of the poor quality of the paper and binding. The cover is extremely flimsy and the paper is very thin. My copy has already lost its square shape. I realize that this is a problem with most paperbacks nowadays, but I expect a little higher quality in a book that retails at $14.95.