BOOKS: Slave to fortune - Asking for a pay rise can be tricky Alison Eadie enjoys a guide that is full of wage-boosting tips.

How to Get a Pay Rise; By Ros Jay; Prentice Hall; pounds 9.99.

Americans do it better than the British. Men do it better than women. It is asking the boss for a pay rise and, according to this book, three out of four people have never done it. Such timidity seems extraordinary.

In the old days you did not have to ask. Jobs were graded and you got the going rate, plus a bit for length of service. Nowadays, organisational structures have been swept away and pay is based on performance and your worth to your employer. In a perfect world, if you perform well your boss will reward you accordingly. In the imperfect world we live in, if you don't ask you don't get.