Learning Dangerously

THE BOOK: Learning Dangerously, An Office Tale.

PUBLISHED IN: 2021

THE AUTHOR: C Fong Hsiung.

THE EDITOR: Kwai Li, Betsy Maury and SMK Editorial.

THE PUBLISHER: Jeredis Publications.

SUMMARY: Learning Dangerously is set in the modern-day office. Whether you’re in your first job or a veteran in the office, you will empathize with our hero and his mother. Take a journey with them, experiencing their friendships, gossip, intrigues and backstabbing in the corporate world.

Matthew Lee, an only child of divorced parents, is raised by his mother Angela Lee, a first-generation Asian immigrant and successful finance professional. Taught early to follow in her footsteps, he is on his way to executing her career plans for him. Meanwhile his father, Vincent Lee also has designs of his own to groom Matt to take over his business.

Matt enters the corporate world as a junior financial analyst intern. Soon video games and other leisurely pursuits take a backseat as his two strong-willed female bosses entrap him in their power struggles. His colleagues’ gossip and back-stabbing intrigues also ensnare him into their politics. The dream job he went into loses its sheen, and his resolve to find purpose in his work flounders. As Matt’s career path begins to take on discouraging twists, he discovers himself through unlikely events and from unexpected people.

This is an intimate narrative of a young man’s journey to establish his own identity as he balances the Asian values of his upbringing against his desire to follow his dreams. Read how his story unfolds as he struggles to please his parents and carve out a career in a world where only the fittest rises to the top while others sink into obscurity.

THE BACK STORY: When I left the corporate world in 2017, many emotions and stories swirled in my mind. Words spilled onto the blank pages of my screen until I stopped pounding the keyboard. I took a breath. A new novel took shape.

For years, I’d been “Learning Dangerously” in the concrete jungle. It was time to cull those experiences for nuggets of wisdom. But what knowledge could I impart, and why would anyone care?

I’m not a self-help writer; I’m a storyteller. I wanted to bring to life many people I met along the way, but not exactly as they were. It tickled me I could make my characters as sweet as or as nasty as my imagination allowed. No matter how fantastic or nasty they were, they stayed inside the penned boundaries of my pages.

WHY THIS TITLE?: I had fun with the title. How is it dangerous to learn the corporate ropes when that world is perceived as a boring place of work? When you throw an intern fresh out of graduate school there, and you set him to work for cut-throat bosses, that’s what happens.

WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO READ IT? If you’ve ever held a job where you had to work with one or more coworkers in the office, it’s likely you’ve had some of Matt’s experiences. Even if you’re no longer a wide-eyed trainee, you’ll recognize a character here or there. The novel’s two points of view belong to our twenty-something hero along with his mother, a seasoned executive.

REVIEW COMMENTS:

“The book was a very easy read that kept you interested throughout. What I really liked about the novel was its simplicity and its credibility. The office stories are not unusual and the lessons you learn are very valuable. The scenarios, the characters and the office politics ring true and can be found in any corporate environment. I really empathized with both protagonists (Matt and Angela) and remained curious about their struggles and decisions. I thoroughly enjoyed the play between the two characters for every chapter, which inevitably pushed me to read further every time — brilliant idea. A must read if you are a young individual just starting your journey in a corporate environment.” — Reader on Amazon

Learning Dangerously: “An Office Tale by C Fong Hsiung was an easy, enjoyable read. It has two different voices with different viewpoints, unraveling the story. The office environment with all its power struggles and difficult bosses, made an interesting setting for Matt to navigate through this, his first foray, in the corporate world.” — Reader on Amazon.

AUTHOR PROFILE: Do you love hiking in the forest? Ride 25 miles on your bike outdoors a couple of times weekly? Ride like a maniac on a spinning bike? Walk 10 miles for the pleasure of it? Read two to four books a month? This author of Picture Bride, New Land Same Sky, and now Learning Dangerously – An Office Tale, finds herself wondering at the end of each day where her time disappeared. On slow days, she grabs her favorite beverage—strong steeped tea with extra cream—and relaxes on her couch with a chick flick or a thought-provoking documentary. If you feel like hanging out with her sometimes, visit her at http://www.fonghsiung.com.

SAMPLE: Download a sample of the book here. https://tinyurl.com/5xfnyamh.

WHERE TO BUY IT: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca.

PRICE:

Kindle Unlimited: $0; Kindle: $2.99 USD, $3.99 CAD; Paperback: $9.88 USD, $11.99 CA