Customer Reviews

The Unemployment Survival Guide

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The subtitle for this thin (94 pages) and small book is "Nourishing yourself through the lean times." Let me tell you there is plenty little here. Any adult Oliver Twist reading this book will ask at the end, "Please, sir, I'd like some more." The reader is offered such marvelous foods for thought as "Accept being unemployed as a full-time job," Embrace the uncertainty," "Be grateful and give thanks," "Live with Hotel Mom" and so forth. If you're over 18 years of age, you've probably already encountered these ideas. -- and know their limitations. As I read this book, I thought, "Are people really so helpless and brain-dead that these bits of advice are absolutely necessary to them for survival?" The authors give so much "instructive" advice, they seem to think it a kindness not to tell you to wipe yourself after you use the commode.

Stringman, the one author with the Ph.D., seems to want to encourage the reader to indulge in self-pity and regression at the start over the loss of his or her job, only later to gently nudge him or her into an awareness that he or she needs now to shape up now, act responsibly, and face reality. That was a waste of printer's ink.

The authors' imagined audience is a suburban married Dad -- who can afford extensive and expensive psychotherapy sessions -- with children and a wife to support, who learns he's going to be laid-off soon and needs to prepare for "lean times." Written in 2004, the authors have no conception that the U.S. economy has every chance of never turning round and people are going to starve to death for want of work and food availability. The authors consider the U.S. the top of the heap for privilege and opportunity compared to the rest of the world. So, prosperity is just around the corner!

Interestingly, the note of optimism running throughout the book is of such a kind that I had to glance twice back at the names of the authors to be certain that it wasn't a woman writing this book after all, a woman with a chirpy, you-can-do-it optimism in her voice.

Further, there was a small nugget on page 82 that actually gave me pause. The authors suggest finally to "be still" and "do nothing." They invite you to be calm and instead of hurrying to a new crossroad, "let the path choose or find you."

I appreciate the fact that the authors acknowledge how really painful unemployment can be. They admit that in losing a job the unemployed individual will likely experience all of the emotions that are associated with grief and loss but will eventually feel better with time. However they state that although "part of finding a new job is preparing and sending resumes, perusing classified ads, searching for employment on the Internet, networking and interviewing....until you find work--and you will find work--your biggest, most important job is taking care of you."

In Chapter 3 It Boils Down to Health the authors point out that "Too often, we use our job to define ourselves, when in reality what we do isn't who we are." They admit that "Being employed gives you a sense of purpose and a place to go every day..." but that "Now is the time to rededicate yourself and find a sense of purpose." The authors then encourage the reader to "Feel free to reestablish your old routine" while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They encourage getting enough sleep, sufficient exercise, limiting alcohol use and learning to laugh more.

Chapter 4 Condensed Ingredients encourages the importance of maintaining quality relationships with family and friends.

In general the book doesn't tell the reader anything particularly new . It does however emphasize the importance of taking better care of oneself when one is going through an extremely stressful period such as unemployment.

A recent search for books, at my local library, using "unemployment" as the subject line yielded painfully few titles. Most of the books involved career development or other job related issues. While career and jobs are very important to someone who is unemployed, I was genuinely concerned over the lack of available titles. I did find an absolute treasure in a book called "The Unemployment Survival Guide - Nourishing Yourself through the Lean Times" by Jim Stringham, Ph. D. And David R. Workman.

The Unemployment Survival Guide is a quick read at only 95 pages, but it is overflowing with information and resources to nurture you not only mentally and physically, but your family as well. The book takes you on a realistic journey through the most relevant resources needed in order to survive the stress of unemployment. This book will quickly become your resource guide to getting through to your next job.

I found the book and its subsequent chapters to be very creative. It equates getting through the unemployment period much like that of a nourishing meal or recipe. The titles of the chapters are very entertaining. The chapter called "A Bowl of Inspiration" encourages the reader to be thankful for what they do have in life instead of focusing on the negative. It gives you tips on what types of activities to engage in so that you can nourish the body and spirit. It also helps you to realize that even though you may be temporarily unemployed, there are still things in life to be thankful for.

Chapter 3 is entitled "It Boils Down to Health". This chapter focuses on the importance of maintaining your heath during high stress periods. The chapter provides sample charts and templates to track activities such as exercise and food. It also deals with those habits that can lead to our unemployment couch potato downfall such as video games and the Internet.

"Take Stock in Your Finances" is another chapter the book helps you to deal with during unemployment. The book provides financial exercises to engage in to make sure that you survive the downsizing of your personal budget. It also helps you to understand a more abstract definition of the term "wealth". It helps you to focus and realize that wealth is not just about money, but about your family, friends, hobbies, etc...

If I could think of any criticism, it would be that the book could have been much longer with more information provided in each of the chapters. It's very hard to consolidate such a wealth of information into just 95 pages. Even though you could conceivably finish reading this book in less then an hour, you will want to take your time with each chapter to absorb the information. You will find yourself revisiting the information many times during your unemployment moment.

The Unemployment Survival Guide - Nourishing Yourself through the Lean Times is a book written in a simple down to earth fashion for the average reader. I highly recommend this book as a guide to navigating yourself through the unemployment maze. On a scale of 1 to 10, it definitely ranks a 9.5 in my book.

I did enjoy reading "The Unemployment Survival Guide" but the theme of a nourishing meal seems contrived. How can being unemployed be nourishing? However, I found another book titled, "Unemployment Boot Camp" by R.A. Long to be much more true-to-life; whereas being unemployed is no picnic and at times may feel more like boot camp.

This book is extremely well-written and practical for the individual between jobs. This book gives great examples on how to deal with every situation you may be faced with in regards to being unemployed. Most of us will be unemployed at one time and this book works to address the mental aspects in being unemployed and helping the unemployed maintain a positive outlook as they search for their next job. I work in the employment industry and recommend this book to anyone who may be recently unemployed!!

"Life is often filled with obstacles and uncertainty. But failure in life is only when we view our hardships as stumbling blocks rather than stepping-stones toward new experiences and personal growth."

According to Jim Stringham and David R. Workman, the average worker stays in the same job for about 3 ½ years. Many would leave sooner, but a job search can be more stressful than staying.

The authors have decided on a cooking theme and this book includes the following chapters:

Nourish Your Mind - Looking at the problems of the world puts a new spin on your unemployment issues. Suddenly after reading: "Do you have a non-dirt floor where you live?" puts it all in perspective. If you have a refrigerator, you are among the world's top 5 percent of lucky individuals.

A Bowl of Inspiration - The authors list all the reasons why your life isn't really falling apart. After all, you have a computer or at least have access to one, the authors note. This chapter reminds me of lists of things to be grateful for if you are suffering from depression.

Health - Maintaining a daily structure even when under stress. Not wanting to deal with everyday life can be a common symptom of unemployment. There are lists of things to do when you are not looking for work, like taking yoga or dancing classes. Helpful information for those addicted to the Internet.

Finances- Ideas for increasing cash flow and saving money on regular bills. Simple things like filling your gas tank with cheaper gas or canceling cable TV. The authors ask questions about "What is real wealth" and help you to see all the beauty in your life even without a job.

Homemade Goodness - Now you have time to clean out the closets, organize the garage or e-mail long lost friends. Also, information on how to tell your family you are now unemployed. The authors discuss moving back with your parents for a short time or other living arrangement options.

Condensed Ingredients - How to deal with not being able to afford socializing as much with friends and family. Where can you find supportive friends to help you make it through this time in your life and should you do volunteer work while looking for a job.

Soup Up Your Future - How do you make the best of being overqualified? Should you customize your resume?

Instant Success - Should you take a break from job hunting and take a vacation? Lists of free activities and 10 survival tips for the unemployed shopper.

If you are employed when you read this book, there are many helpful suggestions about participating more fully in your current life. If you are unemployed, then this book will give you information on how to use the time between jobs in a creative way. Through nurturing yourself, you will at least be happier during the interviews and you won't withdraw from society.

~The Rebecca Review

When both of my sons were unemployed recently, I searched Amazon.com for something that would help them get through this difficult time (difficult for all of us). Much to my joy, I discovered this book which seems to be one of a kind. It tackles the tough emotional stresses facing unemployment like a sense of isolation, loss of humor and the pressures to find work immediately. It goes beyond the usual how to write a resume or how to give a great interview. It deals with real life scenarios like handling your finances after losing a job, how to interact with your family and friends, and finding ways to have fun for little or no cost. Losing your job is a survivable event. This is a must read book if you are recently unemployed, retired, between jobs or looking for work. It just makes you feel better about yourself and your situation.

This is a great book for these times we are currently experiencing. This book is full of practical, doable ways to deal with unemployment. The authors give simple suggestions and tools to cope with this growing struggle in our current economic climate. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a little encouragement in dealing with unemployment.

I found this book to be an excellent resource for anyone who is unemployed or about to be unemployed. The book takes you through the "basics" that you need to deal with, not only regarding your budget, but with the emotional issues for you and your family as well. It also contains very helpful website addresses for additional information. I also like the sample worksheets and assessments to help me to analyze my personal situation from topics like "my habits" to "being addicted to the Internet". It is also a quick read, which is a definite bonus. I definitely recommend this book.

As a graduate student in communications, I've been doing research for a paper on unemployment. As a result, I've purchased and read a number of different books on the subject including "The Unemployment Survival Guide" and "Unemployment Boot Camp:Tactics for Surviving and Thriving in the 21st Century." While both books offer some very practical insights into maintaining a positive outlook during difficult times, I found "Unemployment Boot Camp" by R.A. Long to be the more realistic and practical of the two. The "nourishing meal" concept left me hungry for something with more teeth whereas the boot camp theme in "Unemployment Boot Camp" is a great device to incorporate into a handbook on unemployment. And with it's chapters aptly and cleverly referred to as "Missions" and other military references throughout, "Unemployment Boot Camp is a little dynamo of a book.