Go, Mutants!

Go, Mutants!, Larry Doyle, Ecco Books, 2010

Earth has survived numerous invasions by aliens and attacks by ancient monsters brought back to life. Some of these aliens are in high school.

J!m Anderson is your typical sullen, brooding teenager at Manhattan High School. Well, maybe he's not so typical, because he has a large, megacephalic head, and oily, blue skin which he occasionally sheds like a snake. Along with Johnny, a motorcycle-riding radioactive ape, and Larry, a gelatinous mass playing the role of the "fat kid" (Son of the Blob), J!m really does have a hard time making his way through the world of high school. Maybe people really are out to get him; after all, his father is the one who led the alien invasion of Earth.

The Harvest Dance is coming, and J!m is supposed to ask Marie Rand if she would like to go with him. Her father is the school's biology teacher, and one of those people who likes to tinker in his garage. Mrs. Rand is a disembodied head who is constantly nagging Mr. Rand to find a body to which to attach her head. The body she was using is no longer viable, but it's kept in a freezer for posterity. Despite numerous opportunities, J!m never gets around to asking Maries to the dance, so she goes with Russ, J!m's bitter enemy.

J!m has a permanent exemption from showering after gym class, for anatomical reasons that are forcefully revealed by the local bullies, led by Russ, at the local drive-in. Later, during another Russ-led attempt to get rid of J!m, once and for all, J!m catches on fire, is severely burned, and dies. But not really, because he recovers in a couple of days, and is now a solar-powered being with skin as hard as diamonds (puberty rears its ugly head).

Larry is thrown into an animal cage during a field trip. Approximately a cupful of his mass is retrieved. Mr. Rand is able to do something about that, with help from some jumper cables and a car battery. Later comes the climactic scene, where Russ forces Marie into his atomic-powered car, with J!m in hot pursuit. Just before the car goes over a cliff, Marie is thrown from the car, and severely injured. Does Marie survive? Does J!m learn the truth about his father? Can Larry be resurrected?

This is an absolute gem of a book. As a former writer for "The Simpsons," Doyle certainly knows how to do satire. It's got everything a 1950s teen story needs: a sullen, rebellious main character, bullies, a chase scene and a drive-in. This is very highly recommended. 

Internet Your Way to a New Job

Internet Your Way to a New Job, Alison Doyle, Happyabout.info, 2008

This book gives a number of examples of how to conduct your job search using all the new Internet tools that are constantly being developed.

Do a Google search on yourself to see what the Internet says about you. If there are drunken or racy photos of you on Facebook, for instance, restrict their availability or delete them, now. You can count on a potential employer doing the same search.

Learn how to create an online presence. If you are seeking any kind of professional position, join LinkedIn and create a profile. Next, sign up on Facebook, but leave the bells and whistles off your page; for professional networking, keep it simple. The number of networking sites is rapidly growing; pick a couple of sites for your profile, and stick with them.

Before you start your job search, be very clear about the sort of job you are seeking, and make sure your resume targets that type of job. Start a new email account just for job searching. Store everything in a separate folder on your computer. Start an Excel spreadsheet that includes the company name, contact person and the date the resume was sent. If you find an interesting opening, apply immediately. Check your email, and your telephone, several times a day for messages. If you get an expression of interest, or request to call for an interview, respond immediately. Obviously, if you are job searching while employed, do not use your company email or telephone; be very discreet about telling colleagues you are job searching. No doubt, word will reach your supervisor.

It's not enough to post a couple of online profiles, monitor a couple of the major job sites, and expect the jobs to come to you; you have to constantly go and find them. The author also looks at resumes; a good review for those who suddenly find that they have to wipe the dust off of theirs.

This book is short, easy to read and is full of information for all job seekers, whether a "veteran" job seeker or a first-timer. It is a gem of a book.