Marty Nemko's Blog, page 386

12 Books for the Psychologically Attuned

I like giving and getting books as holiday presents. Not only are they more beneficial than, say, another sweater, bottle of booze, or calorific treat, they’re easier to buy and to find what’s right for the person. Amazon has 33,000,000 books, e-books, and audiobooks easily searchable, and instantly orderable, gift-wrapped, at a discount, without having to get in the car, get stuck in traffic, find parking, only to find the stores don’t have anything as on-target as what I could have bought effortlessly on Amazon. Indeed, a just-released e-Nation poll found that “1/3 of Americans would rather have a root canal than go holiday shopping.” 
My PsychologyToday.com article today recommends a dozen books that would make a fine gift for the psychologically attuned reader on your list.

Reinventing How Our Professionals Get Trained and LIcensed

Too often, we're disappointed in the professionals we hire, the teachers our children get, etc. The problem is in how they're trained and licensed. I make that case in my Time.com article today.

Making and Keeping Good Friendships

After you’re out of school, it may not be as easy to make friends. My PsychologyToday.com article today may help. Here we’re talking about platonic friends, not romantic ones.

19 Questions That Can Trigger a Fantasy

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer 19 questions that can trigger interesting fantasies.

All the Career Advice Your Need in One Blog Post?

There is so much career advice out there, it’s overwhelming. In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I attempt the perhaps ridiculous goal of, in the space of one moderate-length article, telling you what you really need to know to: pick a career, land a job, succeed on the job, be a good leader, become successfully self-employed, and feel good about the way you’re living your life.

In Praise of a Double Life

What’s your reaction when you hear about the pillar of the community whose hobby is shoplifting? The pious cleric who molests children? The idealistic-sounding politician who, when day is done, limos to an enclave with a carbon footprint bigger than BigFoot?
Yet a double life can be a good thing, one pursued by too few people. I help you develop one in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

What Should Be Your Theme Music?

If you’re like many people, you’re searching to figure out who you are at your core, your essence. It might help a bit to identify a piece of music that’s quintessentially you. An example might elucidate. The 16 pieces of music I link to in my PsychologyToday.com article today reflect my essence. 

Few of you will want to adopt one of those as your theme music but perhaps listening to them might encourage you to find your own. At minimum, they should provide a bit of respite from your packed day. These are excellent performances of each piece, all with video. It’s wonderful that we can, with a click of a mouse, experience them, let alone for free.

The Parent's Role in their Child's College Search

An internal debate on what a parent should and shouldn't do in helping their child decide whether to go to college, where, and how much help to give on college essays. That's my Time.com article today.

Toward a Truly Honest Conversation About Race

Ferguson isn’t the first time we’ve heard calls for an honest conversation about race. Bill Clinton issued one. So did Eric Holder. But it doesn’t seem to have happened yet. Indeed, it seems that the media coverage, from all sides, seems to lack honesty.

That’s understandable. Race is a most difficult topic to discuss in full-dimension. My Psychology.com article today proposes an approach that might be better.

Getting Hired With a Liberal Arts Degree

A 2012 study found that 53.6 percent of college graduates under the age of 25 are unemployed or doing work they could have done without a college degree—read: cab driver or hotel room cleaner.
A 2014 study that tracked college graduates since 2009 found that a quarter are living at home two years after graduation, 20 percent were earning less than $30,000 a year, and half of those less than $20,000.
The news is even worse for liberal arts majors. A 2014 studyfound that only 2% of employers are looking for candidates with a liberal arts degree. 49% believe there are “no jobs” out there for those with a liberal arts degree.
But there you are with your B.A. in psychology, sociology, English, ethnic or gender studies, art history, etc.  You also have a mountain of debt. You want a job. You need a job. But how do you defy the odds?  I offer suggestions in my PsychologyToday.com article today.