Product Description

Training Yourself, has been described as a career survival manual, a reality check, and as $50,000 worth of advice for under five dollars. This book is Charles D. Hayes' vital philosophy of self-education applied to the workplace. Regardless of the nature of your job, your politics, or whether you work for a nonprofit organization or the size of the business that employees you, the advice in this little book will forever change the way you think about your work.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1273097 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Review
"Truly a handbook for thriving at work in the new economy. Every worker, manager, and professional will find this manual inspiring and immensely serviceable. Hayes tells us what we must do and how to do it." -- Ronald Gross, Chair, University Seminar on Innovation, Columbia University

About the Author
Charles D. Hayes, is the author of "Beyond the American Dream: Lifelong Learning and the Search for Meaning in a Postmodern World", "Proving You're Qualified: Strategies for Competent People without College Degrees", and "Self-University: The Price of Tuition is the Desire to Learn. Your Degree is a Better Life."

Customer Reviews

A book for all self-educators
The key message of Charles Hayes's excellent book is that each of us needs to take responsibility for his or her own learning and development. The author brings together the main reasons for this, highlighting changes taking place in the worlds of business, technology and education. Technological innovations come upon us faster than we can learn in the traditional setting of a college or university. By the time a course has been put together much of the material to be taught is out of date. If we consider this, together with the fact that companies want to employ people who can do the job rather than present a piece of paper saying that they have achieved a qualification, then we are faced with serious questions about the usefulness of educational establishments as they are currently constituted.

Hayes also talks about the trend towards temporary working and the increasing tendency for people to move between jobs. In the past an employer would be careful to take on someone on the basis of qualifications because this seemed to be the safer option. Now, since it is easier to part company with someone who is not up to the job, there is a greater tendency to employ people on the basis of what they appear capable of.

As individuals come to have more access to information first hand through books, the internet and other media, they are less willing to take the word of professional experts. Hayes cites the situation in the USA, which we are also seeing in the UK, where people turn up at doctors' surgeries with ideas about their conditions and possible diagnoses, which they have gleaned from various websites - much to the distress of the doctors! Expertise is of course valuable, but it is ceasing to become exclusive. Hayes says that his book is about developing an autodidactic philosophy of life. As a successful autodidact himself, the author is well placed to question the holy grail of what he calls credentialism and, quoting sociologist Randall Collins, makes a convincing case for the decredentialing of society. As he says, "You'll get as much or as little out of life and work as you put in, and the skills you learn will be more important in any job than a wall full of degrees and certificates."

The book is small, compact and focused. Its blurb says, "Read it on a long lunch hour or over a few work breaks." I would add, "Carry it around with you for reference." Oh, and buy copies for your friends and colleagues - you'll be doing them a favour!

A quick read that can change your life
Every now and then, somebody comes out with a short, easy-to-read book that translates seemingly complex issues into simple insights, with life-changing potential. An example would be Strunk and White's Elements of Style. Reading it over your lunch hour may arguably be more helpful than four years of college in your efforts to improve writing skills.

Charles Hayes' Training Yourself: The 21st Century Credential is an even shorter book with an even more ambitious purpose. Hayes provides a secret to success in all aspects of life. Approach everything you want to do with the attitude that you are able to teach yourself the necessary skills. Life itself is a learning experience, and the attitude you take in facing challenges is more important than the formal education you may receive in college or on-the-job training.

This is a tiny book with a big idea. If you're already a successful person, you will recognize its truths. But you'll want to buy several copies to pass along to your children, co-workers, and friends who can benefit from the knowledge.

Quite a disappointment...no new insights beyond the author's earlier two books!
In actuality, this book is more of a booklet, with 90 odd pages.

This book is probably the third or fourth book from Charles Hayes, whose two earlier books, entitled "Proving You're Qualified: Strategies for Competent People without College Degrees", & "Self-University: The Price of Tuition is the Desire to Learn. Your Degree is a Better Life." are really great stuff. Please read my reviews of these two wonderful books!

Unfortunately, this book, again self-published, is quite a disappointment, at least from my personal perspective, as it offers no new insights beyond what have already been expounded in the earlier two books.

For first timers who have not yet read any of the author's earlier books, I reckon this book can still possibly serve as a inspiring guide with useful tips for thriving at work in the new economy.

If you are seriously interested in exploring the mechanics of self-directed learning with the view of ensuring your career security, please get hold of the author's two earlier books as outlined above.

I regret I have to give it a rating of 3.