Helpful pocket side book to dip in and out of for people finding themselves aloft in a world that is increasingly connected in terms of technology but seemingly diminishing in human physical connectivity.

Networking Thoughtfully is a very quick read and as it states, it took me only around half an hour to get through it.
It contains some good tips, especially for anyone who is new to networking or has a bit of a fear of getting themselves and their business out there.
It contains short and sharp steps that give the reader ideas to put into practice before, during and after any networking or social event they attend.
The points are all easy to understand and implement and are nice, practical ways to improve or fine-tune you networking skills.
If you are a business owner who struggles with networking or have a fear of these types of events, this book may give you a bit more confidence and some practical advice to implement at your next event.

It is a short but inspirational book about how to effectively network. One of the most useful thought shared was inspired by Viktor Frankl's 'Man's search for meaning', that 'we are able to shoose our response of any situation'. Based on that, it is way easier to aim at getting the best from different opportunities, by building mental preparation and being able to command our own feelings. This self-help book has plenty of short blocks of advices about how to react in different networking situations - including speed-networking - by building influence and finding common background. A book recommended to anyone looking to improve his or her networking skills and upgrade the business outcome to a new level.

The book promises that the reader will be able to network thoughtfully after reading its contents within 30 minutes. Well, the book does deliver on being readable in 30 minutes or less but did not deliver on the intentionality of networking. For someone, who has read a number of self-help/ business/ psychology books, I felt like the author made a number of sweeping statements like "Think Stallion not Mouse", "If you are still thinking, I cannot do this belief in yourself!" This book was more a cheat sheet or a pocket book that you pull out of your back pocket just before of an event as a checklist of sorts.. If you are interested in networking 101 and strapped for time, then this would be the book for you.

I like positive self-help books, that are practical.

Networking Thoughtfully by M. Wheadon is a good example of that type of book. A quick read, because it does not contain any fluff and gets right to the point, yet it is jam packed with information and practical exercises. Structured in small thoughts, it emphasizes on the mental strategies one should not only imply during networking but before and after each event, in order to maximize the result, one gets from it.
I love how the Author mentioned that a positive approach, via a positive attitude, is an essential component to successful networking.
The multiple exercises presented are easy to follow along, and effective, and so is the advice
For example “Thought Eighteen” focuses on practical steps of how to remember the names of the people in the networking event, and while each step is easy to follow along, it is important and helpful advice for someone like me, who has problems remembering names (I don’t have that problem with numbers, but names are just one of those things, that take extra effort to stick with me).
Also, I love the 10-Meter rule, which basically teaches you to leave any failure behind rather quickly, instead of carrying it with you.
While this book is not an incredibly in-depth networking book, I think it is very useful, serving as a reminder about what we mostly have already been told, but rarely practice. It puts the rules of positive networking back into a framework, where it is easy to grab the information and re-read it whenever you are approaching an event that is important, or as it is in many cases for an introvert, might make you nervous or anxious.
It is nice to have a little book that in a compact space, showcases the importance of a positive attitude in combination with a little bit of preparation can accomplish.

A review of this book has been posted on my book blog http://withinthepagesofabook.com/new-release-networking-thoughtfully-by-m-wheaton-a-book-review

This is a review of Networking Thoughtfully: The 30 Minute Read That Could Change Your Life.
Several people feel intimidated by this or feel that it's not natural. I thought his definition of networking was spot on; "Networking is just a purposeful conversation between consenting adults”. One of the benefits of networking is that you can bring yourself up to date with events in your industry. Don't always think networking is about you trying to get something from someone else.

You have seven seconds to make an impression so be prepared with an introduction that will make someone want to continue a conversation with you. You should say just enough to capture the person’s interest. Focus on why you are unique and how you can benefit people when you're talking to them. Then let them talk about themselves and what they do. He suggests some conversation starters and different questions that you can ask to get the conversation going. He proposes thinking through the resources you have that you can help others with. If you have these in your head it's easy to recommend them when you're with people. Remember you were the answer to someone's problem. You have a skill set that you can offer. It's also very important to remember people’s names. He gives you tips to help you remember who you're being introduced to. He mentions writing on the back of their business card something interesting that you learned about that person to help you remember them. You should stay until the end of an event as some of the best conversations are when the majority of people have left and there's only the real networkers remaining. He shares different ways to follow up after the event. He also talks about the phenomenon of the 6° of separation. He believes that we each know approximate 250 people and that was before the social media craze. In addition to bringing lots of business cards, he advices a method for separating the people you meet. One pocket is for people that you want to follow up with immediately; the other pocket is for business cards of people that you will keep just in case you want to contact them in the future.
The last chapter summarizes his 11 most important points which is a great reference for later.

It's a step by step guide to having a conversation. Everything in it is common sense. I refuse to believe that anyone is so socially awkward that this book would actually help them in any way. It certainly didn't change my life, with the exception of wasting part of it.

This just wasn't very helpful and the writing style was not my cup of tea.