Reviews and Comments

I'm fortunate to consider myself a member of Karen Wickre's large network, and have benefited from numerous introductions she's made over the years. I've always known how good Karen is at collecting connections, curating her network, and putting it to work in a variety of ways. What I never knew was how she does it, and this book is a wonderful dissection of how intentional she is at networking (in all its various forms).

The book is focused specifically on introverts, but I suspect many extroverts will find nuggets in here that will help. (Her thoughts on how to systematically maintain loose ties was particularly insightful for me, and I'm already thinking about how to apply her approach in my own work.) I expect the book will do particularly well among new graduates who are realizing the power of personal networks for the first time, and people experiencing career transitions.

Throughout, Karen's voice comes through. In person she's relaxed, amiable, and curious -- and she has a gift for translating those qualities to the pages in the book. Introverts in particular will feel like they have a trusted confidant who will guide them along the path to a more effective and powerful personal network.

"How we do things shapes what we do." When you come to that point in the book, it's a declaration of a character's growth that they understand the importance of being intentional in their work, of understanding the consequences of their actions that manifest long after the decisions are made.

More than just being a good story, it's an important one. Eliot captures a number of trends - the declining faith in institutions, the growing power of non-state actors, the increasing reliance on technology in every corner of society - and weaves a compelling story throughout that asks essential questions.

Eliot's characters are fully realized - you feel each has their own rich story yet to be written - and their interactions feel honest in a way that many contemporary thrillers don't. Throughout the book, throw-away observations yield fascinating insights into who the characters are and what motivates them - creating a thoroughly immersive experience.

I loved reading this book. Eliot's at the top of his game.

"I had hoped that [good people] would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress."

Martin Luther King wrote those words in his Letter From a Birmingham Jail in 1963. More than 50 years later, many of those same dams still exist - and even though many of us think of ourselves as good people, if we're honest, we're often much more focused on our own day-to-day challenges than we are on finding ways to encourage social progress.

Dolly's book attacks that challenge head-on, and provides a blueprint for how we can be more aware of challenges others face, more likely to engage those challenges, and more capable of using our privilege in ways that produce a more positive outcome. Throughout the book, I felt inspired to look for ways to make a positive impact in my own day-to-day interactions. Just as importantly, Dolly does a fantastic job highlighting common mistakes people make - often with the best intentions - that can frustrate progress.

I am certain that anyone reading this book will come away recognizing behaviors in themselves that they can improve on, that they will be inspired to pursue potentially uncomfortable conversations / experiences in the hopes of learning about those around them and their challenges. Throughout, the book blends anecdotes (see my disclosure below, btw) with years of research that will give even the most skeptical reader confidence that progress is not only possible, it's likely.

Dr. King didn't say "good people". He said "the white moderate". He was specifically calling attention to the vast majority of whites in the early 60s who were generically in favor of civil rights, but often specifically opposed to the methods and tactics chosen by those most affected by the lack of civil rights. For purposes of this quote (and given the focus of Dolly's book more broadly), it felt appropriate to swap out the generic 'good people' without altering the meaning of what he was saying.

Full disclosure: I'm one of the people Dolly profiles in her book. I'm recommending the book in spite of that, not because of that. :)