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So Good They Can't Ignore You
In an unorthodox approach, Georgetown University professor Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice, and sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how people end up loving their careers.
Not only are pre-existing passions rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work, but a focus on passion over skill can be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping. Spending time with organic farmers, venture capitalists, screenwriters, freelance computer programmers, and others who admitted to deriving great satisfaction from their work, Newport uncovers the strategies they used and the pitfalls they avoided in developing their compelling careers.
Cal reveals that matching your job to a pre-existing passion does not matter. Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, what you do for a living is much less important than how you do it.
With a title taken from the comedian Steve Martin, who once said his advice for aspiring entertainers was to "be so good they can't ignore you," Cal Newport's clearly written manifesto is mandatory reading for anyone fretting about what to do with their life, or frustrated by their current job situation and eager to find a fresh new way to take control of their livelihood. He provides an evidence-based blueprint for creating work you love, and will change the way you think about careers, happiness, and the crafting of a remarkable life.
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Reviews
easy to read and short but useful.
By Brydan Daniels
This book has greater relevance today than it did when written. That said, its claim is timeless and will stand up 100 years from now just as it can today. A definite must-read for anyone questioning their work and seeking to love what they do.
By KevinJones88
I read around 60 books per year and this might be my favorite in 2022. It is full of direct advice and interesting stories, and received an easy 5 stars rating.
By Coach Hobbs
This book has a very un-sexy but extremely sobering message about how to invest your life to turn a job to a great and satisfying job, instead of waste you life searching for a great job.
By Reza Mehr
95% of the book is anecdotes about unbelievable people. The narrator is intensely boring and you’ll want to listen to it on at least 1.25x - 2x speed. It is said to be 6 hrs 28 mins and it was a real grind to get through it. It probably could have been 1-2 hours easy. That being said, I give it 4 stars because the thesis of the book is eye opening.
By Mustard Zoltar Podrowska