TGIF: reader book review of Cathie Black’s Basic Black

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My friend Melissa Kong, a senior at Hamilton College and a former intern at Time Inc., penned this review.

When in Doubt, Wear Basic Black
Basic Black: The Essential Guide to Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life), by Cathie Black
Review by Melissa Kong

If you are a magazine aficionado, a college grad just starting out in the workplace, or an already-successful business woman, Basic Black is a must-read. Written by the president of Hearst Magazines, Cathie Black, this part-autobiography, part-career manual is filled with tidbits of useful advice regarding fear, passion, attitude and leadership both in and out of the office.

Ever wonder how you would successfully pitch a magazine idea to O Magazine? Or what you should do if you make the CEO of a large media corporation very angry? Cathie Black has done both, and shares her extraordinary experiences—both good and bad—in a captivating way. Stories like these make this one of the few business books that you will not want to put down.

Even if you despise magazines and the media (in which case you are probably not reading Lisa’s blog), the advice in this book is applicable to almost any other career. Black writes honestly about the perils of being a female in the workforce, successfully landing your dream job, and having the courage to stand up for the things you believe in—even if it comes at a cost.

One of the many things Black emphasizes throughout the book is the notion of a “360-degree life”—how to find balance between and success in both your personal and professional lives. For instance, she includes anecdotes about her personal struggle to manage family life and an increasingly demanding career—a struggle many women today are faced with.

Basic Black poses many questions women will eventually have to face to work their way to the “360 degree” life: have you discussed your long-term career goals with your significant other? How much time will you take off if you have kids? When is it time to give the career a rest and do something for yourself?

She also brings up other important points that many a college grad hurtling toward a career might not have stopped to think about. Exactly what should be in a cover letter for a potential job, anyway? What questions should you be ready to answer during an interview? And what are the benefits and disadvantages of going to graduate school?

Although I found this book inspiring and useful as a college student about to embark on a career, there were a few points throughout the book when I found Black a little bit intimidating. Her response to some of the work and life situations she has encountered might leave some of her readers wondering, “Is that what it takes to get ahead?”

While her stories are sometimes a bit extreme, the basic premise of her book is solid and reading it made me feel more professional. Although this book is suggested to be for women of all ages, it may be slightly more appropriate and useful for the 20- and 30-something set, as many of the topics she discusses deal with skills that women should have engrained in their professional minds from the very beginning.

I, for one, took away quite a bit of good advice: when and why calculated risks should be taken; how to make a great first impression when meeting a potential employer or business partner; what to do (and not do) at an office party. Oh, and I learned never, ever to bring barbequed ribs on your boss’s private, white leather interior plane.

I should be so lucky to get the chance.