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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed, May 30, 2009
This review is from: Dear Success Seeker: Wisdom from Outstanding Women (Paperback)
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For me, this is a one star product. But I realize that it is a very subjective thing and that for many others, it might be a five star product. That's the reason I doubled my rating and gave it two stars.
I have to say right off the bat - If you are not religious or just not Christian, then the strong Christian leaning of this book will probably be a turn off. It almost sends the message that if you are a Christian, just pray and success will come to you. Heathens will have to be diligent, hard working, and persistent. I feel that such a book should not make any reader feel excluded from being successful because they don't have the same religious beliefs as the author and a good many of the contributors.
Not counting the advice to pray, trust the Lord, etc., most of the advice you've probably already heard from your parents and teachers.
What would have made the book more valuable in my opinion, is to have successful people tell stories of how they overcame obstacles in their lives. To be fair, a few of the contributors did share some of their life experiences, but the great majority did not. The great majority seemed to say, "Work hard, keep your nose clean, and everything should be OK. I hope you succeed!"
If you want to be inspired by people who tell you how they braved adversity, came back when the chips were down, or started at the bottom and rose to the top, you won't find them in here.
If you are looking for people who serve primarily as cheerleaders and well wishers, look no further.
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9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not inspired after reading this, May 25, 2009
This review is from: Dear Success Seeker: Wisdom from Outstanding Women (Paperback)
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The author of this book set out to write a book which is supposed to give inspiration to women to make a success of themselves in their daily lives. She contacted numerous women to share their secrets for a successful life. Eighty-three (83) women are included, plus an interview with Gayle King (Oprah's friend). Most responses range in length from 1/2 page to a 2 to 3 page essay. Of the 83 women whose letters were published in this book, I only recognized 14 names.
Only a few essays stood out as being halfway inspiring to me. Since I'm not much of a religious/spiritual person, I didn't find much to be inspired about after reading this book - many contributors attributed their success to being in touch with God, and just guessing, and I'm not being racist when I make this comment, 75% of the responders are black women. I just couldn't relate to their struggles and issues when growing up, and how they overcame them, at all.
It was a quick and easy "read" - the book can easily be read in one day and I found one after another to be written much about the same topic - most of the letters all boiled down to making the same suggestions for your own personal growth. Maybe if I would have read just 2 or 3 essays each day, I would have enjoyed it more.
This book might be useful for a recent female high school or college graduate - but not as the only gift - unless you include a $100 bill tucked inside, too.
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bite-sized Gameplans for Success, May 23, 2009
This review is from: Dear Success Seeker: Wisdom from Outstanding Women (Paperback)
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Reading "Dear Success Seekers" it seems the general target demographic is young black women who have a religious (Christian) background. That's not to say every letter was written specifically for that demographic, or by black women themselves, or that the book has nothing to offer people of different backgrounds or religious affiliations who are open to gleaning the letters for nuggets of wisdom that speak to them.
The book is intended to provide inspiration and advice for the upcoming generation through a series of letters written by successful woman. There is one truly unfortunate flaw, however: The letters became redundant, dispensing the same advice using a guise of altered verbiage. The basic formula came to be:
1. Decide what success means to you (because it's different for everyone)
2. Set your goals (and don't be afraid to dream big)
3. Be passionate about your choices (so boredom doesn't take hold)
4. Roll up your sleeves and get to work
5. Listen and have faith (in God, but if you're not religious, substitute yourself or whatever feels most comfortable)
6. Let the money, power, and prestige take care of themselves when the above conditions have been met
On the other hand, while swimming in that sea of repetition, finding the gems became easy. As I read, I dog-eared the letters which stood out and spoke directly to me or had actionable information. Of the 83, there were only 26. Those letters provided me with something concrete I could use to move forward, such as book recommendations, or a truly inspirational story I could refer to when I feel hapless.
Also, I felt that Shirley Jones's letter, based on its content, should have been the first letter in the book because it offered some sage advice for those reading this book. (Each letter is alphabetized based on the author's last name.)
"Gather up all the [letters] and just read them. Look to "decide" nothing, "weigh" nothing, "choose" nothing. Just read the words and let your visceral, organic machine tell you what "feels" right; not your head, but your gut."
In short order, this book contains inspiration, but not all forms of inspiration are the same to all people, so it's best to read the book with an open mind and let your inner dowsing rod point you in the proper direction.
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