Blind Spots: 10 Business Myths You Can't Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success [Paperback]

Alexandra Levit (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2011

"You want-you need-Alexandra Levit as your guide." -Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive

There's been a major paradigm shift in business practices and the workplace. Alexandra Levit tells readers what no longer holds true for getting ahead today, and debunks business myths that are more dangerous and less viable than ever-given the current climate of ethical scrutiny and intense competition-including it's best to climb the ladder as fast as possible, and that employers want you to be yourself.

Levit offers something better in place of these myths: practical advice on what it really takes to succeed in this new values-driven environment.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Anyone can say everything you''ve been told is a myth. The hard part is offering something better in its place. Levit has succeeded. This book is a hard-hitting, honest, and course-correcting expose on what it really takes to be successful in business. Highly recommended."

(-Michael Port, New York Times bestselling author of Book Yourself Sol )

"Blind Spots is essential reading for a postrecessionary climate where all the rules have changed and the old ways won''t work."

(-Martin Yate, New York Times bestselling author of Knock 'em Dead: Th )

"Blind Spots busts success myths as it replaces them with time- tested techniques to transform yourself into a twenty-first century winner. If you want to lift your self-image, get real in an unreal world, or bolster your resilience, this book is a resource for you!"

(-Tim Sanders, New York Times bestselling author of Today We Are Rich< )

"Blind Spots shines a very bright light on the exact traits that will make you a sought-after addition to any workplace."

(-John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine< )

"Alexandra Levit tells it like it is-not how we''d like it to be-busting myth after myth along the way to get us exactly where we want to go."

(-Tory Johnson, founder and CEO, Women For Hire )

"Don''t believe the hype! When it comes to career advancement without killing yourself, no one tells the story better than Alexandra Levit."

(-Chris Guillebeau, author of The Art of Non-Conformity )

"Alexandra Levit''s myth-busting book is a straightforward, honest, and much-needed guide to succeeding in the real world of business today. Readers are sure to feel empowered by Levit''s many tell-it-like-it-is anecdotes, tips, and tactics. Highly recommended."

(-Lindsey Pollak, author of Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do B )

"Forget all those myths of business success: they just don''t work. Read Alexandra Levit''s new book and learn that today, authenticity and perseverance win the race."

(-Barry J. Moltz, author of Bounce!: Failure, Resiliency, and Confidence to A )

"The thought-provoking stories, staggering statistics, and candid, digestible advice Alexandra offers throughout the book reveal the secrets to career success. This is a straight-talk book that will point out what you have been buying into that is stopping you."

(-Christine Hassler, author of The 20 Something Manifesto )

"Alexandra Levit proves yet again that she is a thought leader of our times. Her myth-busting advice, which weaves in real-world examples, compelling research, and great storytelling, is a must read for anyone working to make it to the top in Corporate America-and be happy along the way."

(-Jodi Glickman, author of Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The )

About the Author

Alexandra Levit is known as one of the premiere spokespeople of her generation and she regularly speaks at corporations, conferences, and universities on workplace issues. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; 1 Original edition (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425243060
• ISBN-13: 978-0425243060
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alexandra Levit's goal is to help people find meaningful jobs - quickly and simply - and to succeed beyond measure once they get there. A former nationally syndicated columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a current syndicated columnist for Metro US, Alexandra has authored several books, including the popular They Don't Teach Corporate in College (Career Press 2004 and 2009), How'd You Score That Gig? (Random House/Ballantine, 2008), Success for Hire (ASTD Press, 2008), MillennialTweet (SuperStar, 2009), and New Job, New You (Random House/Ballantine, 2010). Her book on the top myths of business success is due out from Penguin/Berkley in 2011.

Alexandra is a member of the Business Roundtable's Springboard Project, which is advising the Obama administration on current workplace issues. She is a frequent national media spokesperson and has been featured in thousands of outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, National Public Radio, ABC News, Fox News, CNBC, the Associated Press, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune, and her articles regularly appear on the home pages of MSN and Yahoo!. She was recently named Money Magazine's Online Career Expert of the Year and the author of one of Forbes' best websites for women.

Known as one of the premiere spokespeople of her generation, Alexandra regularly speaks at conferences, universities, and corporations including Campbell's Soup, CIGNA, the Federal Reserve Bank, McDonalds, and Whirlpool -- on issues facing modern employees. Alexandra is also a global spokesperson for Microsoft's program for new hires and has recently been called upon to speak to executives and managers about how to most strategically leverage the talent of the Millennial generation.

Alexandra has ten years of experience providing integrated marketing communications solutions for Fortune 500 companies and is also skilled at providing guidance regarding twenty-first century motherhood, human resources and general business issues, and entrepreneurship. She graduated from Northwestern University and resides in Chicago, IL with her husband Stewart and son Jonah.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoying, October 4, 2011

By 

Keith Alperin "Keith Alperin" (Chicago, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blind Spots: 10 Business Myths You Can't Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success (Paperback)

I'm still reading this one, but i really enjoy Alex's authentic voice. Having spent over a decade in corporate America before striking out on my own about three years ago i sort of assumed that this book would be aimed at someone a little less far along in their career. The truth is that there's a lot in here for someone with my background. While i may identify more with the established players that are profiled in the book, i'm still appreciating (and getting a lot out of) it. NB: I've known Alex for years: [...].

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for job seekers and professionals, October 4, 2011

By 

Laurel C. Van Allen (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blind Spots: 10 Business Myths You Can't Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success (Paperback)

Ms. Levit is a rising star in the career-advice genre, and this book proves why. Ms. Levit provides an upbeat and thoughtful guide to establishing, enhancing, and redirecting (if necessary) the course of one's career. She provides helpful anecdotes and examples to illustrate the 10 business "myths" and gives the reader sound, practical advice that can be applied across many different fields and stages of one's career. In this economy, even subtle mistakes can be costly to one's professional trajectory, and this is where she really adds value in a market saturated with career-advice books: her book stands apart by providing insights that, if applied, can mean the difference between being stuck in a professional rut and moving forward to more exciting, challenging and lucrative responsibilities at work.

My personal favorite "myth" that she explores in her book is Myth #1: Overnight success is possible. Most "successful" people persevere for a long time and experience several setbacks before achieving an objective definition of success. Ms. Levit advises the reader that you'll be best served if you are able to make progress on achieving your dream incrementally over time. Especially in the post-financial crisis economy, maintaining a long-term strategy and being able to withstand inevitable setbacks is critical to eventually achieving one's dream. Anyone who has ever achieved professional success knows that it takes hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. By the end of the fast-paced chapter, the reader finds that Ms. Levit has completely obliterated the myth of overnight success.

Each of the myths Ms. Levit addresses is worth reviewing for the job-seeker, the working professional, the recent college graduate, and everyone with ambitions. Ms. Levit's book is an extremely well-written book with effective advice. This book is a "must-have" to add to your collection.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for anyone who wants to 'get real' about their career, October 4, 2011

By 

Emily Bennington - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blind Spots: 10 Business Myths You Can't Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success (Paperback)

What I love about this book is that Alexandra tackles her subject head-on. In a world where entrepreneurs can feel like athletes (i.e. past your prime at 30) and everyone online appears to be oh-so-successful, it's easy to feel like you can "make it" overnight or that you can only achieve the life of your dreams if you tell the corporate world to suck it. But somewhere in the back of our minds we all know this isn't entirely real. Kudos to Alexandra for stepping up and actually saying so.