"Advice is for Winners: How to Get Advice for Better Decisions in Life and Work" by Raul Valdes-Perez Book Review

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Summary (from Amazon): Advice is for Winners explains how to be more proactive and more skilled in seeking advice from others for better decision making in life and at work. The book describes the many benefits of advice and why people often fail to seek it. Dr. Valdes-Perez offers a comprehensive view of advice as a creative and fulfilling intellectual, emotional, and social process. After reviewing insights from the self-improvement and scholarly literature as well as folk wisdom, he lays out principles and steps for doing it right?as a lifelong habit. The author draws on his experiences as an observer, traveler, father, academic research scientist, board member, and software internet entrepreneur. Dr. Valdes-Perez was co-founder, chairman, and nine-year CEO of Vivisimo, bought by IBM in 2012, and was a 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He was on the computer science faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, where earlier he completed a PhD under the Nobel Laureate Herbert A. Simon. He remains involved in new start-up ventures and lives with his family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


Advice Is for Winners by Raul Valdes-Perez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book has been on my shelf for a while, and I am so glad I finally got the chance to read it.  This is a very well-written book about a topic that is sometimes overlooked and under-appreciated--the giving and receiving of advice.  In this day and age, all too often it seems to be stressed that advice is something you do not need.  After all, we are a self-reliant people, and the seeking of advice is no longer necessary.  Not so according to this author!

Advice is something that is an art form in many ways, and I am often not too good at doing it.  I was glad to read some concrete information that could help me to know when and how to seek advice.  The author's advice was practical and down-to-earth.  He gave plenty of examples, and I very much appreciated his view.  My opinion has changed concerning the giving and receiving of advice, and I plan to implement some of what he has said in the near future.  At times, I got a little bored during certain sections that didn't apply to me, but the nice thing is that the book is so well-organized, you can find what you are looking for quite easily.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

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About the author (from Amazon):

Raul Valdes-Perez was co-founder, chairman, and nine-year CEO of Vivisimo, bought by IBM in 2012, and was a 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He was on the computer science faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, where earlier he completed a PhD under the Nobel Laureate Herbert A. Simon. He remains involved in new start-up ventures and lives with his family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Book website: http://adviceisforwinners.com.




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