Customer Reviews

Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense & Sensibility

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Ooh la la . . . Mirielle Guliano, the tiny, compact style dynamo that demonstrated just why "French Women Don't Get Fat" and then kept them skinny and dressed them chicly in "French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, & Pleasure (Vintage)" does her devoir again and transports her divinely put together femme into the corporate boardroom detailing an elegant and fashionable path to career success in her new book, "Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire." A clever woman of a certain age, Madame Guiliano has neatly transitioned from her role as spokesperson CEO for market-share-leader champagne company Veuve Clicquot to an entrepreneur selling an America-friendly French lifestyle via speaking appearances, books and an Internet presence complete with video clips displaying such things as the proper way to open a bottle of champagne, creating a romantic table for two, tying that all important fashion accent--the scarf and making two French secret food weapons: homemade yogurt and savory leeks. Smart and savvy Mirielle has lived fairly long and very well; her trademark anecdotes illuminate this latest memoir with the same common sense simplicity that worked so well in her first two books.

Mirielle's tips are the all important ones. She concentrates her efforts on what she know works through the filter of her own experience. As a woman in a man's world, she breaks a seemingly intrinsic rule that should have been abolished over fifty years ago, but for some reason--perhaps some vestige of female insecurity or the jealousy gene--still exists, that being that women in powerful positions rarely mentor their up and coming protégés. Guliano decides to take on this role within the pages of her book, but also suggests finding a role model willing to share his/her know-how about and familiarity with their mutual place of work.

Women already in business may find some of Mirielle's advise a bit obvious: she tells us the value of good communication skills, discusses the value of dressing well without showing too much and confesses the truth that as a woman, working harder and most likely longer is key to gaining respect from the Boy's Club. Remember that Madame Guliano has paid her dues, worked at a top position and now has segued into her new life of author and lifestyle coach. She has lived the life and walked the walk and this memoir/how to may not be comparable to one of Lee Iaccoca or Jack Walsh's business commentaries but nonetheless it does stand out as a summarization of key items that will work in a corporate environment simply because they are classics.

As in "French Women Don't Get Fat" and "French Women for All Seasons." Mirielle emphasizes simple techniques that win every time. We all know these things; Mirielle compiles them for us and affirms them with personal testimony.

As food and wine played a paramount role in her last two books, this book would not be complete without a section on business dining which I found to be the most enjoyable portion of the overall read. Mirielle explains the necessity of proper table etiquette with tips on how to shine during that interview lunch or dinner where your potential boss scrutinizes your dining behavior as to how it fits in with corporate image. She delivers three menus for those at home dinner parties--all of which contain the essential simplicity in preparation and sophisticated arousal of the taste buds. For those who dine out all the time due to their schedules, Mirielle offers her 50 Percent Solution to eating to avoid weight gain--I tried this at lunch the other day and it worked very well--she utilizes a Zeno's Paradox technique where she divides her food continuously in half and then just eats the half. As the brain takes the time to focus on the infinite act of bisection, the stomach has enough time to trigger the brain as to when it actually is full. I ate less than half of my food and felt comfortably satisfied. Mirielle has come up with a thinking person's guide to portion control.

She ends her book with advise about understanding that the old feminist boast about being able to `have it all' is nothing but myth. Taking on too much equates with being stressed to the max where no portion of your life receives the full attention that it deserves. Just said.

Guiliano is one smart cookie--well, half of a half of a half of a cookie. She created a brand for herself while she worked for Clicquot Inc. and now she has enhanced that brand to promote her books and speaking engagements. As it's been quite a while since I checked out her website, I was quite blown away by the content that has been added since the publishing of her first book, "French Women Don't Get Fat." Indeed, Mirielle formulated her working persona and has now morphed that character into the star of her own lucrative niche. She embodies the idea of savoir-faire transforming into joie de vivre.

Bottom line? In "Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire," Mirielle Guiliano tackles the business world with her simple and savvy French style and adopted American know-how while staying skinny and enjoying a balanced life. Recommended.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

I admit the title "Women, Work, & The Art of Savoir Faire, Business Sense & Sensibility" caught my interest as much as the author, Mirelle Guiliano. She is also author of "French Women Don't Get Fat."

Ms. Guiliano has many tips and "rules" on how to be a happy, successful, and balanced woman in the world of business. She has a very unique way of wording things that led me to quite a different way of looking at my role in the world as well as some of my behavior; not only in business but in my personal life as well. I must say, the change in the behavior, attitudes, feedback, and answers seems to be changing and I like it.

Not having to put on the pseudo-macho woman persona when I want to get things accomplished is quite refreshing.

This is a wonderful, must read for any woman no matter if they are an executive or a stay at home mom. No matter if you are heading a regional conference or meeting with your son's teacher we have business to take care of. Learn how to look great, enjoy being a woman, and still get the account for your company.

The recipe; yes, recipes; for Mousse Au Chocolat with Ginger was devilishly delicous.

This book begins well. Mireille Guiliano lets you know that she has the portfolio to be able to hand out advice. As a French woman in New York, her accent and obvious ability to speak French and English well, made her a desirable candidate for a terrific job, selling French champagne to the American public. And she excelled.

A lot of Guiliano's advice seems facile but in this day when some hopeful job applicants don't know to change out of their jeans and flip flops and strapless tops for an interview; it is time to go back to basics : "Don't overdo your eyes with make up." Or, "The quality that sets people apart in business is the ability to communicate orally, in large and small settings." Or, "Before going to bed, decide mentally or physically what you are going to wear in the morning."

This book would be a great boon for a young person without any experience in life or the job market, someone who needs to be told the obvious by a woman who was willing to write it all down in book form.

For the woman who has been in the work world for some time, this book will be clearly stating the obvious. And at the risk of getting nothing but negative feedback, I did tire of Mireille Guiliano tooting her own horn throughout the entire book. And goodness gracious, if you are not French, well then, just stand to the back, please, and make way for that marvelous lot of people, The French!

I admit that I opened this book with a slightly negative bias. I'm beginning to weary of authors who aggressively brand themselves these days. What used to seem original now often feels formulaic and pretentious.

Mirelle Guiliano understands her adopted country and knows how to impress us. On the one hand, she used her elegance and sophistication to good effect when she began with Veuve Clicquot and, yes, American women are rather intrigued by (apparently) effortless French style. On the other, "me + French = wonderful" can grow tiresome WHATEVER nationality is involved in the equation. While I'm sure peppering her conversation with French phrases is charming in real life (although she reminds us she is "equally" proficient with both languages) in a book it gets tiresome very quickly, c'est vrai.

But, ignoring the calculating branding (including the branding of nationality) and a bit of...hmmm...maybe too much self-assurance to be completely relatable, Mme. Guiliano really does have excellent advice for women. Particularly in American culture which can tend to the casual (especially with the younger generation entering the workplace) or the uninspired (note numerous political leaders who could all benefit from this book), specific advice about fashion--and more specifically, style--is very helpful.

I know some other reviewers have dismissed much of her business advice as common sense and maybe it is. But I found reading this book--especially the first half--surprisingly interesting and helpful. Yes, perhaps these are things I could write a paper about (mentors, proper approach to your work and workplace, actively LOOKING for opportunity and being prepared to take it when you see it, etc.) but I was reminded about actually APPLYING them to my personal life.

Time and again I made notes in the margins about something I should remember in MY workplace--and I'm not even in a business, but in a service industry. I think these reminders will be useful and will correct a few bad habits (of attitude) that you can forget to be aware of after a while at the same job.

She speaks from hard-won experience, has excellent advice well worth the length of a book (rather than, as many of these things, a magazine article), and her story is genuinely inspiring. "Women, Work, and the Art of Savoir Faire" is a good read at any stage of your career. For some reason, I found it hard to put down--odd, for a business book. Whether she wrote it herself or had (unacknowledged) help, the writing style is clear and engaging. I recommend this whether you're starting out at the beginning of your career or, like me, in the middle and need to ... reevaluate it--and yourself.

I learned several important things from this book. I remembered several other important things from this book. I give these compliments reluctantly because I disliked Guiliano enough as a narrative voice that I don't want to have learned anything from her. Still, she has some good points to make. I would think that parts of this could be really valuable for women who are starting off in business or who find themselves a little bit stuck.

Probably the single most valuable line in the whole book for me was "if you're not a brand, then you're a commodity." She was talking about champagne, but I think it works for your career as well.

Now I'm going to stop saying nice things.

Boy, did I find Giuliano obnoxious. There was a moment where she describes herself and another woman in a business meeting eye rolling at another unfortunate woman who... Presented wrong information? (no) Said something stupid? (no) Was rude to other people? (no) Wore the wrong earrings? (yes).

Apparently the poor dear chose something too bling bling for her suit. And, I mean, who can respect the presentation of someone who can't accessorize? How old is she? 14? Have we suddenly found ourselves in the movie Clueless? She makes business sound like some kind of high school mean girl's club.

And after examples like her open mockery of someone's earrings, Giuliano *dares* to go on and wonder why women don't mentor each other. Case in point much?

Anyhow. I learned stuff. The recipes look tasty. But she made me so glad I'm building my career in IT and not luxury beverages.

I have never read any of Mirielle's previous books, but this one has piqued my curiousity for the others. Her writing style is conversational and engaging, and she intermingles anecdotes from her own life with solid advice. While I work in the semiconductor industry and that's a far cry from the Luxury Goods segment, her advice to women workers is sound. I enjoyed reading about her career path. You know what I thought was inspirational? She advises you to follow your passion, noting that passions change, and in addition, live your life in balance - work alongside play. Refreshing viewpoint from a business book, that one. If only we could all vacation like the French! Also, I like the emphasis on being who you are and comfortable in your own skin.

I was actually inspired by the wardrobe section to go through my closet, to remove anything that didn't make me look and feel great. I am inspired, when I go back to work next week after some time off, to follow her advice on dressing better for your job. And while I never appreciated the sentiment when it came from my mom, I believe the author when she says that seductive clothing has no place in the workplace.

One of my favorite chapters was on etiquette. I would love this author to write an entire book on etiquette. She confirmed something I knew to be true - the handwritten note or thank you card is really important. She also confirmed where your napkin should be when you get up, and how you should arrange your fork & knife. I did these things myself but saw so much variation in others that I wasn't sure if it was all in my own head.

I've read all of Ms. Guiliano's books to date and this one is in line with all of her previous work. Her flair for conversational style writing is what keeps me engaged. It's much like sitting down with your mother or grandmother and gaining her time gained advice.

In this 252 page novel she shares with us the little bits of information that can make or break us as women in the workplace. As someone who has a degree in management, I can tell you that this book fills in all the little gaps that are left after you've gained the concepts and facts about management. There are the other trickier things that come up in social situations, networking and simple graces like "the power of hello" and "thank you".

I've read a lot of business books but not many of them come from the viewpoint of a woman and with grace at the forefront of how to handle tricky conversations and situations in the workplace. She discusses the stress involved in business travel, the need to be organized and the need to recognize the differences between men and women in the workplace. These are tidbits of information that many of us might have received from our mothers, but if you know a college age girl just graduating this is a time perfect gift for her. The book is chockfull of advice that may seem to be given's but not every girl has someone mentoring them. In this book Guiliano offers up her past experiences and becomes your mentor if you are lacking one.

This is part business self help, part social graces, part handling business as a woman and it even has a chapter titled "Eating for Business and Pleasure" where she discusses the proper way to handle who pays the check, who picks the wine, and all of those other small details that most of us only learn with time or from our mothers input. She makes these things easy with straightforward information and entertaining antidotes along the way.

The book includes 12 yummy sounding recipes as well. I've loved all of her former books and I loved this one as well.

Mireille Guiliano knows what she's talking about. She has lived it and been successful. And she's charming. I wish I had read this book (and a few others) when I was in my early 20s and clueless after college. But now that I am in my mid-30s and have a respectable career, most of the advice seems obvious or unnecessary at this stage. This would make a great gift for a new grad - forget Emily Post, this is what girls these days need to know.

Author Mireille Guiliano (French Women Don't Get Fat) has penned a follow up book, Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire, offering insights into the business world. As I began reading, I was somewhat off-put by what I perceived as her rarefied and privileged view of obstacles facing women in the world of work. After all, most of us don't get to be the spokeswoman for Veuve Clicqout Ponsardin a few year's out of college!

But as I continued to read I began to see that her sound and practical advice, could apply to me or anyone that was striving to be all she could be. Its all here-wardrobe tips, putting your best face forward, office etiquette, how to be an effective manager, and tips for keeping ones' emotional life in balance.

Based on her advice, I am making sure that I don't cuss or cry at work, that I don't raise my voice when angry and that I use a lot more chocolate in my cooking thanks to the delicious recipes including in the business entertaining chapter. And the book is very entertaining as well!

I really enjoyed Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Fat and I've long been an advocate for women to take control of their own lives. So when I saw this book among my Amazon Vine selections, I grabbed it without a second thought. I'm glad I did.

Guiliano is a woman who "made it" in a traditional male-dominated industry, so I was particularly interested in her advice to other women about how to manage themselves in the business world. I found few of her suggestions surprising -- but then in my day job I've interviewed many extremely successful women. Guiliano echoes what I've heard before, such as the importance (or at least usefulness) of finding a mentor who can guide you in career decisions, and the need to both recognize your differences (yes, in a male dominated industry you will stand out; USE that recognition to your advantage) and set them aside (you still have to be brilliant at what you do, so truly gender doesn't matter).

Guiliano doesn't try to write an exhaustive guide for what EVERY woman should do; she sensibly shares only her own experiences and the lessons that she learned (sometimes the hard way). As a result, some of the advice she gives may be suitable for a senior executive for a champagne company (Veuve Clicquot) who rose up through PR and marketing, but not for, say, a computer industry geek. There are many industries in which her suggestions about perfume and wardrobe are relevant -- but I have a hard time imagining my women programmer friends dutifully running out to buy cashmere cardigans and silk scarves. (I don't mind if you buy me one, though.)

Nonetheless, I liked this book a lot for the advice that WAS useful, and I suspect that "what is useful" will depend on what the reader needs. I appreciated her advice on choosing the right company and position ("not necessarily just what feels good today, but what can prepare you for tomorrow") perhaps because it took me so long to learn to give attention to that. I liked her emphasis on women (re-)learning the "gentle art of conversation" as a business skill; as Guiliano says, "Here's where women often excel but do not exploit their talent." Plus (maybe because I like to cook) I appreciated her advice about the importance of business entertaining, and the suggestion that developing three outstanding but low-stress menus can take you through most of your career.

She falters in parts of the book, though, enough so that I had to subtract a star. In a section on negotiating salaries, Guiliano caught my attention by discussing the lack of men's-and-women's pay parity. But her advice is too vague to be useful. This disappointment occurred in several sections, and I think it's because she does write from her own experience. She's a sales pro, after all; she's good at negotiating (salaries or whatever). The skills that come naturally to her may be difficult to articulate, even if they're the ones that we most want to learn.

It's a good book, though. I expect that most women who want to succeed in business will learn something from it -- even if that's only a reminder to believe in oneself.