This is an extraordinary book that presents a completely new approach to developing and using business relationships in a dramatically more effective way. I've been a client of the author and familiar with his approach, but I still found the book to be a fantastic and enlightening read.
The book presents a kind of a "unified field theory" in which the author explains why typical networking usually doesn't work and often erodes business relationships, all as a predicate to offering a values-based approach that shows respect to one's current and prospective colleagues and allows networkers of different personality types, including shy people like me, to play to their strengths in a much more natural way. Having made the case for pursuing business relationships based on mutual advantage and clear strategic objectives, he then presents a step-by-step framework with cogent illustrations that bring his new way of seeing things to life.
The author has a much more realistic and mature understanding of the challenges we all face when engaging in such complex activities as looking for a job, clients, funding, or vendors than any of the many books I've read on the subject. His advice is particularly astute for experienced workers with significant accomplishments under their belt, but who face intense competition at higher levels of career advancement. There are no cliches or fads or silver bullets in this book, just an exceptionally thoughtful and original approach to a set of problems we all face and a lively and realistic roadmap for making it your own.
