Higher Education    by Kenneth Jedding Order:  USA  Can Rodale, 2010 (2010) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Bob Walch Recent college graduates as well as seasoned members of the work force know jobs are hard to come by right now. What's a college student to make of all this? Is a university degree, especially an undergraduate degree, a waste of time? What do you do when you have taken out loans and invested a small fortune for an advanced education and seemingly have no way of paying them back? In this book glibly subtitled, 'On Life, Landing a Job, and Everything Else They Didn't Teach You in College', Kenneth Jedding addresses many of the concerns of today's college grads who must wrestle with questions like this. Dividing the book into four parts - Careers, Relationships, Parents, and Perspective - the author begins by discussing college majors (Did I major in the right subject?), mentors, internships, interviews, entry level positions, and the role of money in assessing success. He then tackles, in much shorter chapters, the role of friends, significant others, and parents in the equation of coping with post-academic existence. Finally, in the brief closing section there's a rehashing of such platitudes as life is what you make of it and you must have faith in yourself. The conversational tone of this narrative makes it very easy to digest. A therapist and career counselor/life coach, the author knows all the buzz words and right things to say to offer encouragement and focus a person who might be wallowing in self-doubt or pity but ... Is there anything new or revolutionary here? Not really. Empowerment is the name of the game in books of this nature and Jedding knows his way around that playing field. For those who are a bit overwhelmed by the process of finding a meaningful job and trying to put to use a lengthy and expensive education, this book may provide some solace. It probably can't do any damage and might well be beneficial in some instances. In households where a recent grad has moved home because of few job prospects, this is a book you might want to place next to the TV Guide with hopes that someone reads it! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews