Thinking of leaving your job, or you have recently joined the ranks of solo professional, this book is a...

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	• It Sure Beats Working: 29 Quirky Stories and Practical Business Lessons for The First-Time, Mid-Life, Solo ... Michael J. Katz BookSurge Publishing, 2007 - 142 pages average customer review:based on 14 reviews
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highly recommended

Useful and funny self-marketing anecdotes

Michael Katz is a pro and this book is a fun, breezy read, and you can't "beat" the title. Some of the stuff seemed familiar from his blog but it has more heft all bound together in a book. He really has thrived as a "first-time, mid-life, solo professional" and gives others hope that they can do so as well. I ordered this book after getting the first three chapters for free via his blog, and then a follow-up email from Michael. He practices what he preaches (give stuff away with a personal touch).

Rare Combo Few Can Pull Off

Michael Katz' extraordinary book is informative, exciting, magnificent, fun, funny and incomparable. It is consistent with his e-newsletter: Filled with engaging messages that are as enjoyable as they are insightful, "ISBW" is a rare combo that few can pull off. Buy it, read it, enjoy it! Then read it again, enjoy it again... and buy it again! Worth every pence.

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Thinking of leaving your job, or you have recently joined the ranks of solo professional, this book is a must for you

Michael Katz, in his book "It Sure Beats Working: 29 Quirky Stories and Practical Business Lessons for the First-time, Mid-Life, Solo Professional", made me feel as if I was involved in a personal conversation with the author through his journey towards becoming a solo professional. While reading, I laughed and shook my head in affirmation while Katz recounted stories which included starting a business, and the lessons he learned while growing his business. Katz candidly divulges his true feelings and experiences, while letting the reader learn from his trials and successes.

Michael began his adult life as most of us do, graduating collage and working for a large corporation. As many working professionals can relate, he discovered working in a large company was not his true direction in life. If you are stuck in a cubicle hard at work and are trying to avoid the political drama at work, you will share his angst when he speaks of attending unproductive meetings and his yearning to leave a boring job.

Katz attained his goal of leaving his "secure" job with a large company and striking out on his own. If you are thinking of leaving your job, or you have recently joined the ranks of solo professional, this book is a must for you. The greatest benefit to the reader is the authors ability to candidly tell us his experience, and make the reader realize he is not alone in his struggle to make it in the world as a solo professional.

Since I am also a mid-life individual who changed course in his professional life, I felt as if he was speaking directly to me, although I can't relate to his struggle with baldness. My hair is all there, but has turned gray.

The chapter I enjoy most is entitled "Become a Leading Expert in Something". Michael Katz is an expert in development of electronic newsletters, and one day found himself with a client who was a life coach. This life coach had lived the majority of her life with chronic illness, but had not capitalized on her uniqueness in raising a family and building a successful career while battling this illness. Michael while consulting with the life coach on a newsletter was able to refocus her efforts and declare her new expertise. Now the life coach can be defined as an expert in the field of thriving in the workplace while having a chronic illness.

If you are on the fence thinking of starting your own business you will enjoy his "10 Really Good Reasons to Quit Your Job and Start Your Own Business". Some of the top ten reasons I enjoyed include: dancing to your own music, never having to retire, and finding your purpose.

This book is typical Michael Katz, funny, informative, and a great read. Although his book focuses on the solo professional, much of his advice transcends the sol proprietor and is good advice in being successful in both your personal and business life.

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Great holiday present for friends running small businesses or dreaming of doing so!

So many books about business lessons are a struggle to plow through - they tend to be full of statistics and the authors often full of themselves. Michael's book is a quick read with funny, apt anecdotes from his life - like Lesson #10 and the old man with the tea. What a great, simple story from his personal life with a crystal-clear message that we can all use. I was making notes to myself at the end of each chapter about something I could do to grow our business or reputation - or just make my job more enjoyable. It's also a great book for anyone who's been considering quitting their job and starting something on their own -- but needs either encouragement or a push!

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Ranked #1 by SocialMaturity.com's Book Club

As a subscriber to the Blue Penguin Development Newsletter for years, I've long been a fan of Michael Katz's writing. When I got a note from Michael that he had written a book, I ran over to Amazon (well not really, more like walked, actually just clicked a couple of buttons but you get the point)to get my copy.

As a retired professional who started a solo business after retirement and as founder and owner of SocialMaturity I'm always interested in information that will give boomers and beyond insight into starting a business on their own and retirees an easier transition into retirement. Because so many of us start second careers, I found Michael's book to be a "must read."

His engaging wit and his easy writing style made each chapter/"quirky" story a valuable lesson for those of any age who are starting a solo business.

"It Sure Beats Working" is highly recommended for anyone, young or old, who is starting a solo business.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Clearly written and experience-based, this quirky book overflows with practical insights, and is a must read for anyone taking a first step in starting a solo business. Part roadmap, part inspiration and laced with wit and authenticity throughout, Katz shares his own story as a first-time, mid-life, solo professional.

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