Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life)

It's more than just magazines

I loved reading Cathie Black's "Basic Black." I bought this book the day after I accepted an offer for my first professional job after college and it couldn't have prepared me more for the workplace, being a woman in the workplace, learning how to be a leader, and much, much more.

Some people may find this book to be too much about the media bizz, but her anecdotes and stories really do cross many professional careers and can be applicable to almost anyone, especially women. I wouldn't recommend this for guys, but for you ladies out there it is really an inspiring read.

At the end of the book Cathie mentions how giving back is so important and fulfilling in a career, and I couldn't agree more. Being philanthropic not only fulfills you in "a way that your job may not be able to" but it really sets the tone for how other people perceive you, in a few ways. It doesn't matter how much you give, or what you give (wheter it's your time, talent, or treasure) but giving back in any way you can to an organization or institution that you care about is so, so important.

Pick up Cathie's book if you are a newbie to the professional world, a seasoned vet, or someone on the job hunt. There are so many valuable lessons! Plus, Cathie is so warm, funny, and welcoming...it is a great book to read on days that you feel like just giving up.

Good referance material

Cathie Black has provided a management review of what it is like in a position that is in constant change and growth. She touches on the subjects that a lot of supposed leaders forget or fail to do, and that is listen. Numerous oppertunities have been successful due to this one trait, and then she provides many others as well. This is a great book for new business students to use and for others that are in the trenches and need to revisit the reason they are doing their jobs to begin with.<BR/>I had to catch myself from nodding my head in recognition of many of the stories that Cathie presents in how the relevance of doing ---- can bring. This is an excellent read, nothing earth shattering yet is something that should be read by anyone in business management.

A Life Lesson

Basic black was a self guided life lesson book. Many suggestions consisted of ¿how to follow and how to lead?¿ Totally amazing how Catherine writes about basic information which details general points that society encounters everyday but expressed through basic life skills. Corporations will host business conferences which will last five days just to convey one basic lesson. Catherine does it chapter by chapter from how to hire someone or how to prepare for an interview, how to construct a business meeting and how and when to value your staff. It¿s quite informative and inspiring hearing her voice come off the pages. Catherine is truly an inspiration for all women. The book comes highly recommended from an avid reader.

A good read for someone in their 20s.

I'm fascinated by the magazine business and read excerpts of Cathie Black's book in a few Hearst magazines. It was interesting to read her career history and it was helpful to be refreshed on some of the tips, like never starting out a sentence with 'I think'. Despite her choice to put career before family for a good part of her life, she did not come off as judgmental to others who find the opposite a priority. The book would have been much more helpful to me back in the early days of my career, however I'm not sure how receptive I would have been to the advice at the time. Nothing beats experience and making your own mistakes!

Best Book ever Read

I thought this book was the best thing I've ever read. I could totally relate to every advice Cathie offered and I hope she comes out with another book in the near future. Loved It!!!!!!!!!!!!

sound advice and mentoring from one who knows

Cathie Black's name is well known in business and publishing circles as she is currently the CEO of Hearst Magazines (19 in all), as well as the go-getter who convinced Oprah to do a magazine, and to do it with Hearst. She's also the one most credited for the wildly successful USA Today, and greatly admired for shattering any glass ceilings that hampered her career. Black's dossier is an enviable one but more to the point here is her book, Basic Black, a combination of sound practical advice, self-help, mentoring, and snapshots of media greats. Whether you're young and starting out or in the middle of a career, you'll undoubtedly find much good advice as well as many smiles in this savvy tome. Further, even if you're not on a career path much of what she has to say is applicable and helpful in everyday living, such as getting rid of the grudges that harm only you. Black, is an advocate of risk taking, but wise risk taking - calculate what you may gain and what you may lose by undertaking a specific action. She reminds us: '. As ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky once said, 'You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.' Along with risk taking she urges us not to focus on something that failed but rather to examine what we may have learned from that experience and use this knowledge to our advantage. As an example of this she describes the decision she once made to leave New York and take a job with a new magazine in San Francisco - a publication that quickly folded. Quite obviously, Black does not describe her success to date as a skip down the yellow brick road but rather a path of trying, learning, and giving it all she's got. Black reads as she leads, confidently, firmly, clearly, yet with a smile in her voice. Highly recommended. - Gail Cooke

Simply Outstanding

Of course as one of Americas most powerful women she is worth listening to, what's more this book contains invaluable lessons you can use to succeed in your career and life. Black explains how she achieved 'the 360° life,' a blend of professional accomplishment and personal contentment, and how any woman can seize opportunity in the workplace. Sharing her candid, personal stories, Black offers a close-up look at the keen judgment, perseverance, and optimism that propelled her to the top of her game.

A reviewer

I don't live under a rock by any means. But I am very tired of all the self proclaimed 'experts' on anything and everything out there selling their life stories and then Oprah 'whom I greatly admire' touting them for it. How about a book by a nobody like me for example who is struggling with Bipolar Disorder - had a step child murdered at age 21 'mistaken identity was the excuse' before that have been married 3 times and divorced 'in verbally and physically abusive relations' with three small children made it on my own working 2 jobs - then one job that seemed like 4 jobs - my children were always at a sitter or my mom's - married for the 4th time to a kind man with two small boys, but poor financially - both struggling to make ends meet - son gets murdered - we leave Miami - by this time I am in the throws of depression and anxiety - living in Georgia now comfortably - but can't enjoy life because of my disease and this Cathie Black thinks she is WONDER WOMAN and can make everyone into WONDER WOMAN - well Wonder Woman is when you can put up a Happy Face in front of others - especially family - even though you feel weird and dying inside and at the end of the day you fooled them all into thinking you are okay for one more day. Then you have to get up the next day and do it all over again.......

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