Young, gifted, and female

It's commencement season, the time when Boston's college grads have to leave their ornate dorm suites and a la carte cafeterias and plunge (barring the safety of graduate school) headlong into the workplace, where there are endless responsibilities, deadlines, and expectations (not to mention no checks from mom and dad). This can be a difficult transition, particularly for young women headed into a tough economy where men generally create the rules.
But we've got a book that can help. It's "The Power Chicks' Guide to Boston" by Geri Denterlein, a veteran player in Hub boardrooms who heads her own communications firm, Denterlein Worldwide Public Affairs. In this slim but pointed volume, Denterlein cannily surveys who wields power in Boston, and describes how to network and sharpen skills to get ahead here. The book wisely includes descriptions of local bellwether organizations, and their Web addresses for quick access.
This is a terrific blueprint for the newly minted -- and newly broke -- college grad, and could save you two years of wearing "Hello My Name Is" tags at business meet-and-greets.
(Here's the link to a Globe article on Denterlein and a link to the book.)