Brand Yourself compellingly advocates combining today's hottest business concept with the biggest trends in business demographics. Geared toward anyone switching careers, running a small business, or just striving to advance in a current job, the book--by veteran career coaches and marketing consultants David Andrusia and Rick Haskins--argues persuasively that one must carefully create a personal brand and aggressively market it like soup or mouthwash in order to get ahead in these ultracompetitive times. "Branding is such a powerful tool in selling products that it makes perfect sense that we as individuals should brand ourselves," they write, "thereby creating a strong, positive sense of ourselves and our services that is different and better than what our peers have to offer." They begin with an extensive but clearly articulated "career self-evaluation and brand assessment" to facilitate development of a "Personal Branding Statement" that is specifically shaped by your skills and personality traits in addition to marketplace needs. They then focus on "packaging your brand" with the right name, collateral material, and even office space, and "making yourself known" through properly framed written matter and personal contacts. Concluding chapters offer specific suggestions on attaining promotions and changing careers, as well as using the concept in other special circumstances. --Howard Rothman