How to Be Useful: A Beginner's Guide to Not Hating Work

by Megan Hustad

A delightfully original, unerringly hip, yet marvelously practical handbook for a new and slightly cynical generation. You've landed the job. Now you want to make a good impression, express yourself, excel. Unsure of how to proceed? Aspire to a class greater than the one you were born to? Time to put aside your objections to blatant cries for help. In "How to Be Useful", Megan Hustad dismantles the myths of getting ahead and helps you navigate the choppy waters of office life. Drawing on the experiences of twenty- and thirtysomethings (herself included) as well as fictional strivers from "The House of Mirth", "The Apprentice", and everywhere in between, she shows us where things tend to go wrong in our pursuit of the great american dream. Then she culls the best advice from a century's worth of success literature (the books you'd be too embarrassed to read yourself) to show how work and even the idea of professional climbing can be artfully reimagined. The result is both surprising and provocative. There's Andrew Carnegie on why just being yourself on the job is a terrible idea; Emily Post on the importance of asking questions; Napoleon Hill on why its okay to use people (and how to do it properly); Helen Gurley Brown on thriving in the midst of corporate dysfunction; and Stephen Covey on why you shouldn't always stand up for yourself. Proving once and for all that working hard and being smart arent nearly enough to get ahead these days, Hustad provides dozens of solutions for corporate indignities that have stood the test of time. Humorous yet wise, ironic yet indispensable, "How to Be Useful" overturns everything you thought you knew about moving up in the world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business, Reference, Psychology, Unfinished

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Katrina Michie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not done with this book, but I would recommend it, even (or especially if) you hate self-help business books. She takes all those books we creative types avoid reading and condenses them into useable, readable bits that you can really apply to your work life.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I didn't think I'd get much out of this book. A friend gave it to me because I have a problem employee and she thought I might find some ways of dealing with him by "out-psyching" him. What I found was a wealth of information about the mind-set of the twenty-somethings.

Hustad went through the last 100 years worth of business thought books. Essentially, this is a literature review of all those books (the bibliography is amazing). What she has added is how it relates to being in the job market for the first time today. Things that seem common sense to those of us with more experience (dress for the job you want, defer to those with more time in the department) apparently are not common to the newbies.

These newbies (my sister calls them the soccer trophy generation) are the ones raised to believe that they are the deity's gift to humanity and that showing up every day 30 minutes late wearing jeans and a T-shirt is perfectly acceptable. I'm sure everyone works with or knows of the kid who feels like it's a thrill for you just to be in the same room with him.

Hustad gives them the rundown on everything from dressing to etiquette to networking. What past thought was and what the current thinking is. Everyone from Napoleon Hill to Donald Trump is included. She comes off as smart, sassy, and essentially likeable - like an older sibling giving you the low down.

I want to get a bunch of copies of this book to hand out to all the kids who are about to graduate from both high school and college.

[Rose]

Fine, with some interesting bits, but seemed overall a bit formulaic: take one young author plus a whackload of books on something, sprinkle in the odd personal anecdote and pop culture reference, and there you go. I guess the impression it made on me was that it was in the genre that reads a bit like a term paper. Yes, the author's digested a load of books for the reader's benefit, but it almost feels like they don't really know any more than you do about the subject and they could have used the same approach to write about anything at all. This doesn't quite get it right because obviously, they do know more about it than me, having read so much about it. I guess perhaps what makes this distinctive is that these books read a bit more like you're flicking through one of those books that summarises "1001 books to read before you die", or whatever, than a genuine synthesis of a subject.

But I will say that this is being pretty harsh. It's not a bad book, and parts are quite entertaining.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more of a humorous review of business/career advice books past, but it's full of enough quirky anecdotes and practical advice to be an enjoyable read.

I particularly liked the essays and excerpts from Helen Gurley Brown on how women in the workplace fought for equality in overt...and sometimes subtle ways.

If you're looking for a somber manual on how to get ahead in business without really trying, keep browsing the self-help section.

[Christopher (Donut) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I was 2/3 finished, when I was actually close to the end (70%), although the annotated bibliography is well worth reading... proof the book could have been twice as long.

At once a history of self-help books, and a practical guide. I liked it a lot. The author is very sharp.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually useful. Much more useful than "Shut Up, Quit Whining and Get A Life," a book my mother once sent me as a gift.

[Kelsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is bullshit.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got a lot out of this book and can see me rereading it again some day. I loved her tone about work, it instantly wanted me to be more positive and enthusiastic and put-together. One compliant is she doesn't address sexism/feminism at all, and I don't think we are close to being able to ignore that in the workplace, but maybe things are different in publishing.



Some notes, just because I don't know where else to store them:


Encourages importance of low level work (errands, etc) although this worries me a bit from a feminist perspective - she is writing to both men and women. Later talks about the importance of no, after you've spent your time volunteering.

Am realizing how right my instincts are to do things outside my job description in general, and to be enthusiastic, and am seeing that my negative coworkers are hurting themselves a lot, and this is maybe the main reason why I'm always so well liked. Always listing concerns is a transparent attempt to seem smart. Better to be enthusiastic.

Pay more attention to others feelings than your own and have some signature empty space questions: what are you reading these days? Any travel plans? What was your first job? Be always curious of others.

Know that everyone is self absorbed. There is value in not always excelling! Keeps people more comfortable with you. However she argues you have an audience and therefore your competence and dedication has to be preformed. Defends looking busy (late emails, unnecessary note taking in meetings, etc)

You don't need all the gold stars anymore --- so huge. It's powerful to not need the gold stars.

[Brendan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Juvenile and monotonous. Hardest read in recent memory. I felt as if I was reading a crappy Cliffs Notes version of all of the great books she referenced throughout How to be Useful.



P.S. I typically am rather kind or near-mute in my reviews but when she referred to Warren Buffet as the "Prophet of Omaha" instead of the" Oracle of Omaha" as he is known, I had to say something. I am now taking everything I "learned" from this book with a grain of salt. I recommend bibliophiles to check out the original books she mentions as not to skimp on something that may be important in your future careers.

[Gail Park · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hustad distills the nuggets of wisdom from 100+ years of success literature (Dale Carnegie, Emily Post, Helen Gurley Brown, Stephen Covey, Napoleon Hill, et al.)

What I learned:
*Don't ask a favor of someone you haven't yourself helped in awhile.
*Don't compliment someone then immediately ask for a favor.
*Be interested in others.
*Surround yourself with smart people.
*Don't backbite/gossip.
*Ditch Rhetorical questions.
*Let others toot your horn for you.
*Wear nice underwear.

[May-Ling · Rating 3 out of 5]

the subtitle of this book feels inaccurate - i might suggest something more like "how to be useful at work: pithy takeaways from 100 years of business books." megan hustad offers a helpful perspective for entry level employees based on research from many piles of business books. i'm not exactly the target audience, but i still found some helpful takeaways.

my main issues i have with the book that would have propelled it to 4 stars:

the font; it's old-fashioned, which is what the book is not

the selection of business books is mostly on the older side and trump seems to be her primary modern business reference, which is pretty terrible.

megan does lean a bit too much on her publishing perspective. understandable, since that's her point of reference, but that's a small industry for a general guide.

nonetheless, i did feel this work saved me the time of diving into certain business books i had on my list. she's also a sharp and smart writer, clearly doing her research along the way. i especially enjoyed some of the female voices she incorporated. the wrap up is good, which is that we all don't have to get happiness from our work, and if we do, maybe we should rethink that - or the job. and beyond that, all of this success literature helps us consider that moving up means we don't have to think where we are today is where we belong and that small steps lead us to achieve career ambitions.

[Nathaniel Teeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining and inspiring book--especially for the disenchanted or those with the beginnings of a desire to do even better professionally.

This was the second time I read this book (first was last year). It's painfully good and hurt to read and see many blunders of the workplace I had already muddled my way through. I chose to read it a second time because there are a lot of good nuggets of wisdom and advice put forth by the author that I wanted to put into practice. I found that during the second reading I noticed more of the things I had always been doing right (by accident or natural inclinations) instead of just the mistakes I had made. While her book is supposed to be a survey of "success literature," wherein she provides a somewhat sarcastic/ poking fun at approached to gleaning the important nuggets, I found myself finally inspired to start reading these sorts of books. I recall being offended when my grandpa gave me "How to Win Friends and Influence People" when I graduated college, and feeling talked-down-to for being given "The 7 habits of highly effective people." Now, I feel foolish for not at least giving these--and other similar titles--at least a slight perusal. But the glory of this book is that I now am able to see the sense in these others, and while all the information may not be useful, it might still be worth knowing. This will now be the first of many other "success literature" books I will be reading.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I picked it up both because I have never read any "success literature" and because I supervise workers in the age and experience range she sites as her intended audience for the book. Some of the advice is quite useful - I loved her chapter about being yourself: "Part of the problem with being yourself is that you could be anyone. You could dress badly. You could be a shy daydreamer, or you could be a bubblehead... Have we always been sending inexperienced young people into the capitalist lion's den with the flimsy instructions to just be themselves?"

Other advice I found less useful. If you were to follow her guidelines to a t, you would likely end up coming off as calculating, cold and disingenuous, never more so that when she advises you to smile (even when faking it) at all times and at all costs.

I do think that "success literature" has it's place - that we ought to better prepare younger workers for what's expected of them in dress and behavior, and to remember that not everyone has the natural instincts required to get ahead in corporate culture. But by the end of the book, I couldn't help but want to run away screaming from my current office setting given all the advice Hustad had given me about how to "succeed." And I like my job.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't hate work. If I did, I'm not sure this book would have convinced me to like it, but I would have at least learned how to get the most out of it and keep my distaste from being obvious. The book follows, in chronological order from the 19th century on, a series of self-help books that Hustad deems relevant to success in work. The authors include everyone from Dale Carnegie to Emily Post to Helen Gurley Brown, including some bizarre and fascinating obscure characters; most chapters focus on one individual work or author. My favorite was the chapter on Orison Swett Marden (Chapter 2: Dodging the Great Failure Army), which focused on avoiding snark and staying positive without being saccharine. Emily Post was another genius addition. In all cases, Hustad has the ability to interpret the author's sometimes century-old ideas for us 21st-century workers with humor and the genuine frankness of a good mentor. Each chapter ends with bullet points summarizing the application of these ideas in the workplace. Frequent pop culture references make the book entertaining, but may make it seem dated in the future. The author is well-read and a gifted writer; I enjoyed reading it-- I just wish I could send it to my 22-year-old self.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tone of this book makes the advice go down so much easier. I've been very resistant to some career advice in the past, because some of it seems so unnatural, fakey, or just ridiculous. Hustad basically cuts the legs out from under that argument by giving you a new perspective on what it means to work in an office. Combining the "best of" advice from a century's worth of career advice books, Hustad walks you through adjusting to a new job early in your career. I find this book to be both inspiring, and a major shift in perspective which is releasing some of the stress I've felt in my current workplace. I would definitely recommend this to anyone in their entry-level employment days who feels like they are going crazy trying to figure out what the hell is going on at work.

**

I just re-read this book (May 2012) without, um, realizing that I'd read it before. And I really liked it! Even though I don't really work in an office anymore! So let's just say that this book has great advice for your career, whether you are at a desk or working for yourself (slash for baby-mamas and massage clients).

[emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes all the famous success literature in the American canon, from Carnegie to parachutes to Emily Post, and distills down what's useful to the modern-day millenial-or-Gen-Y office worker. I found some of it confirmed things I already felt were true, but some put into words things I had vaguely-formed ideas of on my own-- that sort of well-phrased summary that makes a person go "Ah, yes, that." The new money/old money comparison was the most helpful-- the reminder to listen, to be mindful of when I'm talking too much, etc. And I liked that, unlike the two articles I just read for a PD session last month, the book seemed equally geared toward men and women. It didn't have that "So ya wanna go into BUSINESS, young man?" tone that so much of the success literature she reviews does have-- the feeling that the imagined audience is a crowd of would-be Don Drapers in a varied array of tastefully tailored suits-- I felt included in the conversation, and walked away certain I'd use the wisdom herein again. And, given that I started a new job just as I was reading this, I was right.

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scoff not! This isn't a self-help book. "How to Be Useful" is an engaging, judicious survey of the all-American genre of business books from Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" to Donald Trump's ghostwriters.

The real reason this isn't a self-help book is because of the massive unemployment in the U.S (18% unemployment, if you follow the European model by counting people who can't find full-time work yet can't make ends meet with a part-time job). Nobody needs a guide to "not hating work" when there's no work to be had. Luckily, it's a worthwhile book for other reasons: while reading it, we plan how smartly we will navigate the world in a few years, once the hiring freeze thaws.

There's much to learn from the values espoused by the bestsellers cited by Hustad: the benefits of ceasing to "just be yourself," the pleasure of doing good work (even if it's unpaid or unnoticed), the tricks for navigating insular, incurious corporate environments.

[Mintwitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and zippy overview of what to do and what not to do in the workplace, distilled from 100 years "success literature" (e.g. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, etc.), the author's personal experience, and stories garnered from friends and family.

As someone who has been in the workforce for a couple of decades, I am not the target audience for this book; nonetheless, it was interesting and I even learned a few things. Hustad's style is relaxed and engaging; she comes passionate about her topic, without browbeating the reader.

I would recommend "How To Be Useful" to recent college grads, young adults in their first or second job, and people interested in an insider's anecdotes about the publishing industry.

[Rachel Smalter Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Megan Hustad seems like someone you could have a cocktail with in a Manhattan bar, and while you were sitting there chatting over drinks, she would entertain you with her witty overview of American self-help literature from the past century. Her chatty, having-cocktails tone makes me imagine that this would be a great book for, say, the dreamy art student who feels his soul being crushed as he enters his own cubicle for the very first time; practical, but with a conspiratorial "we both know this sucks, but trust me, you're going to want to know this" slant. In the end, though, it bears noting that Hustad is an editor-turned-freelance-writer, NOT a wildly successful business entrepreneur, so probably best to think of her tips more as cocktail party fare, less as tried-and-true business advice.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be just okay-- but added a star back for its utility (it saves me the trouble of reading a ton of "success literature" by summing up some main points). What seemed lacking was a truly relevant commentary on that literature... This book is only nine years old and already feels dated, particularly (though unsurprisingly) the chapter on Trump. What left me most disappointed, having been written by a woman, was the lack of nuanced reading in realistic application of principles that were clearly meant for working men in the early- and mid- 20th century. There's even a section where she sums up an idea about clothing and tacks "Presumably, women derive the same benefits" onto the end-- and I actually rolled my eyes. So in sum: It was perhaps worth the read, for what it is.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one caught my eye because I think it has a lot to say to the students where I work about how to survive in the workplace. And perhaps it says something about how to renew my own approach to work as well. I like that the author has reviewed about 100 years' worth of business books, from Dale Carnegie to Steven Covey, and distilled/extracted the wisdom of these authors. I'm a chapter in, and I hope to continue reading it.

Addendum to the above: I am getting through this more slowly than, say, a detesctive novel, but it is very rewarding. Just finished a section on how being positive at work is so important, yet antithetical to what may be learned in the classroom where being critical is showing that we KNOW something! Ah, but it's how the message is delivered, isn't it?

[Deeplata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains lot of practicable wisdom which can truly make a beginner's struggle at work a lot less burdensome. Along with explanation of what one should do in a given situation at office, the book painstakingly describes the context and human nature for this situation making itself a comprehensive business help!. Following the advice given in the book will not make you a machine, as I used to think before I started reading business self help books. The advice are totally humane whilst being strictly context specific (for office use). The writing style of the book, however, was quite difficult for me to follow. I am a non American & coping with the American English & its lingo made the reading a drag for me.

[Alyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is right - this really is a beginner's book. There aren't a whole lot of lessons to be learned, but it is good to reinforce the things we should all remember. It complies the best of success literature going back to the 1800's and ending with the Trump. And focuses on the idea that we only hate work as much as we are willing to let it get to us.

The best lesson I learned - even if you are right, it isn't always worth making sure your boss knows you are right. I have been told (on multiple occasions) that I have a "strong personality". I need to make sure to remember this when "crucial conversations" are had at work. This will help me be useful and not hate work.

[Jason Reichl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't agree with the rest of the reviewers on good reads. This book is fun to read. Think freaknomics or Malcolm Gladwell with out all the self righteousness that the other two books I mentioned tote.

The book is practical and offers some sound advice in the way that I think most of my peers would disagree. Being useful to someone else is not about letting them see how sassy or smart your are it's about doing what they want when they want it.

I'm from the generation of managers before your 30. And I do all the annoying things this book warns against.

It's very interesting and can almost double as a contemporary look into what it's like to be a young professional today.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great quick overview of the important career advice books from the last century. The author has read them all so you don't have to! And she has even included extensive notes and an annotated bibliography... a librarian's dream. What I didn't like was the title and cover design. I originally picked this up as a joke to show a co-worker, but then when we started looking at it, realized it actually offered some useful advice. My favorite bits are on why you shouldn't be "nice" or snarky. It's too bad that the audience for which this book is intended will probably not bother to read it, however.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, light read in which the author sums up a century's worth of business advice books that most of us would be too embarrassed to read/be caught reading. And she makes fun of us millenials for thinking ourselves too sophisticated for traditional work advice from the likes of Dale Carnegie, Og Mandino et al, yet having no idea how to behave in an inter-generational office.
Basically, this is a great book for people who hate the self help genre as it pokes fun at itself while still being helpful, but if you've actually read anything on careers and professional development, then all the advice is probably redundant.

[yoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter 1 was called "on being a poseur" and about how working in Corporate America DOES require you to act differently. know what you're going to say, keep it brief, and don't forget to say you want to move up!

chapter 2, dodging the great failure army" Is about the importance of both thinking and acting in a positive up-beat way.

chapter 3, "party tips for the nouveaux riches" is how to talk paraphrased from Emily Post. it's all about THEM. you may be asked to join, not participate. be conscious of your surroundings and the background of your coworkers

ch 4, people are most interested in themselves so make sure you ask!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, to the point, entertaining, and in a word, useful. The author read a slew of self-help books and autobiographies, and distilled them so you don't have to read them yourself. She makes good points, and the book is fairly short. It's not a roadmap, but a collection of advice and anecdotes to help people learn from others' experiences so they can get what they want out of a job faster than if they'd had to make all the mistakes themselves. Hopefully some things are obvious to the reader, but even then that's a good assessment that the author knows what she's talking about, and learning even a few useful tips is never a bad thing.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice compendium of information from the last 100 years of guides on how to be successful at work, framed in a modern perspective. It was interesting, but I think I was expecting something a little different when I checked it out from the library. Maybe more in the way of stories, rather than advice? The advice is good; if you're looking for a self-help book on how to become more successful in the workplace, especially if your first real job has disillusioned you a little bit (as mine has), you could do worse.

[Cherrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was really hard to get into the book in the first couple of chapters; I am not a fan of her writing style. It also took me a while to understand what she was trying to do with her book. In sum, she combed through a lot of the major/popular/bestseller career inspirational advice books from the past century and consolidated the most important pieces of advice. So none of this is new, just reiterated in her own words. Some of it was good to read as a reminder and to refreshen my current work situation but IMO, the book is worth skipping.