Independent Learning Centre

This book by the late Richard Nelson Bolles is the best-selling guide on job hunting of all times. It is still being revised annually, now with the assistance of successor author Katharine Brooks. What makes this book special is its wide coverage: not only does it give advice to job-seekers of all ages, to those with blots on their CV, and to introverts, it also has suggestions on how to deal with psychological issues related to job hunting, on finding a job in the age of the internet, and on salary negotiation.

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As the title suggests, this book by a software engineer with experience at Google, Microsoft, and Apple is about interviewing for jobs as a computer programmer. Aside from coding questions and algorithms, the book also discusses the interview process at the most popular tech companies, behavioral questions, and conventions for job offer negotiation . Importantly, the book not only includes detailed solutions (and sometimes multiple ones) but also hints, in case you get stuck but don’t want to spoil it for yourself. With 696 pages, this book is bound to teach you a lot.

With a special focus on case interviews, this book coaches students how to think through the questions before giving sensible and thorough answers. Not only does it present several logical frameworks which help interviewees manage the given cases (Ch. 4), it also offers concrete sample interviews for readers’ reference (Ch. 5). This book is particularly useful for students who are about to attend a case interview for the first time.

Highlights include "Types of case questions" (pp. 15-19), "The four key case scenarios, developing your structure" (pp. 36-46), and "Case starts" (pp. 74-83).

This is a textbook about critical thinking. Topics covered include: knowing oneself, asking the right questions, irrationality, bias, manipulation, and ethics. Of special interest are the section titled 44 foul ways to win an argument, which describes ‘dirty tricks’ used by the less honest, and the 52-page glossary of critical thinking terms and concepts, which will appeal to the intellectually curious. Critical thinking is a notion that is often talked about but has remained elusive for those wanting to define or teach it. This book is a good attempt at shedding light on this trendy topic.

This book takes the unique approach of attempting to teach reading by offering a wide selection of prose instead of trying to independently teach techniques. The book contains a very interesting selection of non-fiction, and some of the book’s sections start with short instructional chapters about topics such as paraphrasing, making inferences, transitions, and persuasive writing. Texts are prefaced by vocabulary notes and followed by questions about reading comprehension and vocabulary from the text as well as discussion topics and in some cases suggestions for creative writing. Overall, one could describe this book as a large repository of materials for guided reading.

We might believe fake news, draw incorrect conclusions, and make decisions based on emotion rather than reason. Viewing critical thinking from philosophy, psychology, and science, this newest edition explains how the concept of critical thinking emerged, how it has been defined, and how critical thinking skills can be learned and assessed. It is, for sure, a great book for your personal growth.

Highlights include "John Dewey" (in Ch. 1), Components of critical thinking (Ch. 2), "Can critical thinking be taught?" (in Ch. 3) and "Can critical thinking be assessed?" (in Ch. 3).

全書共收入五十篇短文，作者以自身多年的面試官經驗，說明求職者所須注意的各種技巧。比如第九至第十五篇（頁42 - 73）講述了如何安排履歷的版面設計，並講解履歷內容的編寫原則，協助讀者撰寫能突出個人特點的履歷。至於第二十至第二十六篇（頁91 - 114），則重點講論面試技巧，如怎樣應對常見問題及揚長避短，都是相當實用的說明。書中另附多則個案分享，以便讀者能了解不同行業的招聘方式。

本書共分五部分，作者以生活化的語言，深入淺出地講解求職面試各個階段的注意事項。其中第一部分（頁16 - 46）主要介紹履歷與求職信的寫法，並以輕鬆而不失深刻的方式帶出「8大CV禁忌」及「求職信7宗罪」等問題，甚具參考價值。至於餘下四部分，則集中講解面試前的準備與面試的應對技巧，當中第三部分（頁76 - 92）提及「畢業生面試『潛規則』」等話題，有助同學做好個人定位。

本書分為八章，作者藉其工作心得與見聞，講論人力資源管理的各項要訣。其中第一章（頁14 - 33）主要說明大學畢業生投身職場前應注意的事項，如怎樣決定求職方向、如何改善面試臨場表現，以及怎樣面對難纏考官等，皆為切實可行的提示。而第四章（頁88 - 111）則從招聘人員的角度，介紹主持面試的準備、面試提問的誤區，以至有效的提問方式等，讀者如多加了解，當能收知彼知己之效。

作者將全書分為六章，介紹由其整理的讀書術，從而應對以考試為主的學習。讀者可因應自己的學習需要，參考對應的學習建議。如第二章（頁 52 - 79）作者說明如何有效地管理時間，以騰出更多時間讀書温習，並談及提高集中力的不同建議。次如第六章（頁 212 - 235）作者則主要談及專心學習的方法，如從環境、個人準備及小組學習等方向入手，並提及如何了解自己的學習難點。作者每每舉出事例作說明，讀者不妨代入其中，尋找適合自己的學習方式。

作者從「成人學習」的角度出發，介紹提高學習成效的不同技巧，對生活多采的大學生亦具參考價值。比如第二章（頁38 - 77）作者除了提出每週劃定適切的自學時段外，還提到善用小休乃至往返住所的時間，都是切實可行的計劃。至如第六章（頁188 - 212），作者則強調學習者應善用互聯網無遠弗屆的特點，拓寬學習的範圍，務求達致轉益多師的境界。讀者若能參照個人的實際情況試行其法，學習當能更見效率。

本書共分十一章，作者從學習的藝術出發，講述提高學習動機與效率的技巧。其中第二章（頁95 - 165）主要說明記憶的技巧，介紹加強記憶的三種效果、提高記憶力的兩種技巧以及激發記憶的不同方法。第六章（頁203 - 234）則圍繞高效學習作探論，指出綜合運用探察、提問、通讀、背誦及複習等五項原則，並配合適當的筆記方式，能有效改善學習表現。全書另附計劃表，以備讀者自行制訂學習計劃。