Official Review: Success! by Anne Elizabeth Nixon

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Mbrooks2518
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Re: Official Review: Success! by Anne Elizabeth Nixon

Post by Mbrooks2518 »

It seems like this book would probably work better as just a memoir. After all, that's quite a range of jobs! Thanks for the thorough and honest review!
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gen_g
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Post by gen_g »

Mbrooks2518 wrote: 07 Sep 2019, 09:28 It seems like this book would probably work better as just a memoir. After all, that's quite a range of jobs! Thanks for the thorough and honest review!
I agree; it would do better if the breadth was reduced and depth increased. Thanks for stopping by!
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Post by Tomah »

I feel like this author can write a great book in the future given her wide range of professional experiences, but this doesn't seem to be the one, sadly. It sounds like the book suffers from a lack of focus, failing to understand what it wants to be. Thanks for the honest review!
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Post by Juliet+1 »

Compared to all the other issues, this is a minor quibble. But, since the author is a woman and writes about her own work experiences, why does the cover feature a happy and presumably "successful" man.
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Corina Elena
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Post by Corina Elena »

It is rare to find a 1 star rating. Unfortunately, many self-help books offer more personal experiences than advice to their readers. I also find it incredibly troubling when the authors are completely oblivious to their many privileges and say things like "anyone can do it".
This was a really nice review!
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gen_g
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Post by gen_g »

Tomah wrote: 07 Sep 2019, 15:40 I feel like this author can write a great book in the future given her wide range of professional experiences, but this doesn't seem to be the one, sadly. It sounds like the book suffers from a lack of focus, failing to understand what it wants to be. Thanks for the honest review!
I think the lack of focus is a valid point to make; I do think it would be a lot better if there was a constant reminder for the author about her reasons for writing the book during the writing process itself. Thanks for the comment!
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gen_g
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Post by gen_g »

Juliet+1 wrote: 07 Sep 2019, 16:08 Compared to all the other issues, this is a minor quibble. But, since the author is a woman and writes about her own work experiences, why does the cover feature a happy and presumably "successful" man.
Oh my god, there is definitely a lot to unpack here – my background in gender studies is definitely coming up with all sorts of points in my brain right now, LOL. I would definitely like to know the reason behind this choice, although it may seem like it was chosen just because it might be more "relatable" to the common reader (due to patriarchy). STILL, the fact that we think it relatable also says a lot about us, doesn't it? :lol: Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! (:
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gen_g
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Post by gen_g »

corinaelena wrote: 08 Sep 2019, 09:44 It is rare to find a 1 star rating. Unfortunately, many self-help books offer more personal experiences than advice to their readers. I also find it incredibly troubling when the authors are completely oblivious to their many privileges and say things like "anyone can do it".
This was a really nice review!
That's certainly a valid point; I also think that it is extremely important that any author examines their own assumptions/privileges/circumstances when stating their opinion on any issue. It does seem like it has not happened here, but hopefully, it will be addressed in the next edition! Thanks for the comment. (:
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Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

Ouch! It sounds like this book has more going against it than it does for it! A memoir disguised as a self-help book. I don't think you can get any further from the genres I enjoy than that. With the addition of so many errors, I can safely say I'll be skipping this one. Thanks for the honest review!
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Post by gen_g »

Kelyn wrote: 09 Sep 2019, 16:47 Ouch! It sounds like this book has more going against it than it does for it! A memoir disguised as a self-help book. I don't think you can get any further from the genres I enjoy than that. With the addition of so many errors, I can safely say I'll be skipping this one. Thanks for the honest review!
I totally understand where you are coming from! Hopefully, the author will work with an editor to resolve all those issues and produce a much better copy. Thanks for the comment!
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Post by Niv123 »

My oh my. What a book. I think you've saved me a lot of trouble through this review!
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Post by gen_g »

Nivi Gideon wrote: 15 Sep 2019, 08:34 My oh my. What a book. I think you've saved me a lot of trouble through this review!
It was a quick read, but I wished that there was more material. Thanks for stopping by!
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Post by djr6090 »

A self-help book should include something besides memoirs. If the memoirs covered overcoming extaordinary odds as in
From Liberty to Magnolia
or is meant to show that the job search method is not just academic, it is helpful. Maybe the author could salvage the book with a change of perspective. Thanks for your honesty.
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gen_g
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Post by gen_g »

djr6090 wrote: 23 Oct 2019, 09:58 A self-help book should include something besides memoirs. If the memoirs covered overcoming extaordinary odds as in
From Liberty to Magnolia
or is meant to show that the job search method is not just academic, it is helpful. Maybe the author could salvage the book with a change of perspective. Thanks for your honesty.
I agree, a change in focus might benefit. Thank you for your comments!
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