Is this book “over-titled?”

When perusing the endless shelves of your local bookstore, some book titles seem to leap off the rack and grab your attention. Readers eagerly grab and read them, only to be disappointed in the end. Yet, come on, can a $25 book, even one written for so-termed "Dummies," really make one smarter? It depends, one must suppose.

Regardless, this book has such a title. It's big; it's huge; it's, frankly, a little scary. Who doesn’t want MORE POWER and to be MORE INFLUENTIAL?

Does this book fulfill the anticipated results detailed on the dust jacket?

It’s a little difficult to say. On the one hand, there appear to be logical and orderly explanations for each of the major themes in the book, and how to get one's arms around them...fast.

(See the Table of Contents for a list of these themes.)

On the other hand, each theme in some ways deserves its OWN INVIVIDUAL BOOK. Instead of shareing just a few examples, each theme needs dozens, if not hundreds, from every industry or walk of life for true applicability to any particular reader.

And, the question arises, what happens when one's BOSS also reads this book. I mean this is a business book, written by a well-known and successful businessman. Isn't it likely a number of fellow industry-chieftens will want to RETAIN their power and influence by brushing up on them at regular intervals? Or are they just too busy?

Further, dont' many of these principles may only apply during certain stages of one’s life and and one's career? Both timelines offer milestones and opportunities for jumping off into gaining more power and influence, without question. However, HOW to judge them, and WHEN to apply these principles can be problematic. The underlying assumption in the book is it doesn't matter. Start today, use the rules, become awesome and General Patton.

At the start of one’s career, even before one’s working career begins, there can be no question that these themes need to be core and fundamental to one’s business value system. If nothing else, they should get you thinking and planning for the future.

At the mid-point in your career, one might face an entirely different sort of “gateway” or “door” into achieving more power and influence. You’re in the workplace, competing with real employees (many of whom are just as small, talented or well spoken), and know a thing or two about bosses and how to “perform” around them to succeed.

After 50 years of age, universally, White, English-speaking males face one set of challenges, as compared with Black, English-speaking females (race is NOT really dealt with in this book - - the assumption is that the application of technology and its power-generating and influencing capabilities is ubiquitous and can be implemented by one and all. Maybe.). This may, in fact, not be true at all, especially in large corporations with government contracts and mandates to promote women and minorities in the workplace, all other things being equal.

So, that 50 year old White male might find himself previously successful and powerful, doing the right things and rising through the ranks, suddenly hitting a wall, buttressed by an unseen Human Resources vice president with a mandate to meet racial and other social biases, that roll out in the workforce as the elimination both him, his job and his high salary all in one fell swoop.

In fact, in some corporate offices today, it’s hard to find ANY White, English-speaking males over the age of 50. They’ve all be “downsized,” “jobs outsourced,” “bought out or prematurely retired.”

But getting back: Is the book over-titled? Maybe by quite a bit, opening the door to a sequel or a Part Two, geared toward various SEGMENTS of the workforce. These slices might be by age or industry, by geography, demographics, even, by sex.

In this short-attention-span-theater world, where “When it works, it’s over,” does one size fit all, even briefly? Is the reader, knowing this up-front, going to be disappointed? Probably not, but degrees of adaptation of these principles will definitely be required, in order to generate the most benefit over time, it appears. The implication: Start today. Why hesitate? Indeed!