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Review by Shafaq Shahid

I want to preface this by saying, that I usually stay away from non-fiction and avoid “self-help-books” or books that promise you, they could improve your life, just because I know that most of the things that are discussed are common knowledge or they wouldn’t benefit me in any way; but [this] book was different. I have always known that it is not my skills and qualifications that would keep me from getting a job I really want, but it would be my social skills – or lack thereof – that could prevent me from getting a job or climbing the social ladder. In every social situation I am in, I second-guess my actions, wonder if there are any social rules I am not aware of or simply feel out of place for not being as sociable and communicative as others.

That’s why I have always wanted something like a guideline of how to interact with people, how to make friends (or allies for that matter) and how to navigate difficult situations within a workplace. I found this sort of guideline within the Calhoun-Senghor-Rules. [The author] explains really well how and why you should behave a certain way in certain situations and explained the psychology behind [his] reasoning very well, so that it is easily understood and makes sense to people that have no previous experience in these kinds of situations.

I especially like how [the author] wrote [his] book in the exact same way [he] would talk to us in our class! It made the reading experience quite entertaining and fast-paced, which I really enjoyed. I also thought the illustrations were really cute, but also very fitting, so they made the perfect conclusion to each rule.

The rules that have helped me most are Rule 6 and Rule 18 since they helped me understand how to get along with “difficult characters”, but also how to stand up to them when necessary. Regarding the “How to get a Job” – aspect, I am also very grateful for the cover letter and resume [the author] attached in the end, because I would often hear how recruiters only give each applicant about 10 seconds to decide whether they are worthy of being invited to an interview. So I have always dreaded the thought of putting together my resume that may potentially not even be acknowledged. I used [the book’s] suggestion to apply for an internship and I did land it, so [I thank the author] very much for helping me with this formality! I will start the internship this summer and I was initially very nervous about my interactions with people that work there, since I don’t know what kind of people I would be coming across. But with [the book’s] rules in mind, I have gained a new kind of confidence and I think I will do well, if I really put my mind to it.

In conclusion, I would say that this is the kind of book that everyone would benefit from by reading it and, therefore, I would definitely recommend it to my peers and especially those who are in a similar situation as me, as it has helped me tremendously. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to read your book and I hope it helps other people as much as it helped me. [Thanks to the author] for sharing [his] knowledge and experience with us and I hope [he knows] how much [he is] helping students and graduates in getting and excelling at the job they worked so hard for!

- Shafaq Shahid

Law Student


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