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UpBeat!

May 15, 2009 | Author: Promise Phelon | Filed under: Moving Up, Setting Goals

To say that we loved the new book UpBeat by Rajesh Setty is an understatement and to identify it in a class of meaningful business books, I need to first give a quick perspective on how I see most business books. Most business books are…

  • Designed to flatter the writer.
  • Unremarkable.
  • Built to be used as marketing copy or consulting framework material.
  • Tamed and watered down by reviewers, editors and publishers.
  • Are written to be too smart and just end up losing people.
  • Get timed wrong—the publishing process often causes a great idea to miss the moment in which it should be heard.

UpBeat doesn’t pump up the writer’s ego, but keeps it real. It’s really not selling anything, only you on yourself and your ability to weather what’s happening in the changing economy. It’s raw and emotional in parts. It’s timing is just right and the words chosen are magnificent. (For instance, it’s well edited, but some sentences end in prepositions and I don’t think I saw one semi-colon in the entire 50 pages.) Love it!

I’m smiling as I write this blog posting because when Raj mentioned this book to me in the Fall, I couldn’t see it. But, I could see that it was inside of him… brewing up and causing that psychic conflict that happens when you have a great idea. (There are writers who write books for any number of reasons; this is a journey that Raj’s taking us on and a narrative he wants us to thoughtfully consider.)

When you sit down to read UpBeat you’re immediately going to love the way the book looks—yellow, small, and short with a cool cover image…and did I mention small and short? The intro is solid—to the point, tying the economy’s impact to our need to be resilient. Well, we get that here at UpMo. Upbeat people build better relationships, have more engaged and active networks, and get the best job opportunities. I would highly recommend reading it in one sitting—a hot tea, a Starbucks maple scone and a comfy chair. (Ok, I had none of that as I was on a cramped plane, but you get it!)

Some of our favorite quotes from UpBeat:

  • “Giving up is easy. Anyone can do it.”
  • “Any single conversation has the potential to make a BIG difference in your life.”
  • “It is easy to get by being mediocre, and if you are lucky, you can do that for a long time”
  • “You can only do so much on your own. You need a network.”
  • “Recession provides an unprecedented opportunity for you to lead and make something happen. Recession begs for fresh leadership.”
  • “The answer is to spend less on things that will add less value so that you can spend MORE on “good” help.”

UpMo is going to order 100 copies of UpBeat and send them out to a bunch of people who need to read it. Some of our UpMovers will be surprised when it shows up in their mailboxes. Thanks Raj!

(In an effort to have full disclosure, Rajesh Setty is an advisor to UpMo which means we get to take credit for inspiring the capitalized “U” and “B” in UpBeat.)

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 and is filed under Moving Up, Setting Goals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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1 person has left a comment

I am new to UpMo and excited about learning about the effective ways to network and I am in need of the Upbeat book, so if possible can I be one of the 100 recipients you will send a copy to. I am unemployed and looking to get back into my field of expertise, which is Restaurant Management, then return to college and earn a Bachelors Degree in Education.

Please help me.
Sincerely,

Monica Halbert

Monica wrote on May 18, 2009 - 10:49 am | Visit Link

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