So Good They Can't Ignore You
Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love
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4.5 • 247 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
In this book with unique perspective, professor Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice, and sets out to discover the reality of how people end up loving their careers.
A focus on passion over skill can be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping. Spending time with professionals who admit to deriving great satisfaction from their work, Newport uncovers the strategies they use and the pitfalls they avoid in developing their compelling careers.
Cal reveals 4 Rules for falling in love with your job:
#1: Don't follow your passion
#2: Be so good they can't ignore you
#3: Turn down a promotion
#4: Think small, act big
Cal Newport's manifesto is mandatory reading for anyone fretting about what to do with their life, or frustrated by their current job situation. So Good They Can't Ignore You 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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This just might be the only motivational book that advises against following your dreams. Cal Newport is a business-coach superstar (he coined the term “deep work,” which you see online constantly), so it pays to listen to him. Using anecdotes and analysis, Newport explains why playing to your strengths and putting in the work to build what he calls your “career capital” will yield more satisfying results than blindly following your passions. We were wowed by Newport’s talent for formulating counterintuitive advice, backed up with sound logic, that goes against the grain of nearly everything else we’ve heard. (Turns out declining a promotion can sometimes be a solid strategy!) You may not get the advice you expected, but So Good They Can’t Ignore You will get you excited about all the ways you can take charge of your career path.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Countless experts have argued that following your passion is the key to career success and bliss in life. In his lively and engaging first book, Newport (who at the time of writing was an MIT computer science doctoral student and active blogger) debunks this assertion as clich d, unrealistic, and possibly even destructive. He offers an alternative view that passion takes time and, in fact, is a side effect of being good at what you do. Developing mastery takes study, discipline, and repetition, Newport notes, and many compelling careers have "complex origins." Drawing on real-life examples of individuals including Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, operators of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, and a Harvard professor, and others, Newport examines how meaning, mastery, and passion can emerge in a variety of careers depending on how they are approached. This refreshing view encourages readers to make reasonable choices, buckle down and put in the time, and through trial and error hone their "career capital." Written in an optimistic and accessible tone, with clear logic and no-nonsense advice, this work is useful reading for anyone new to the job market and striving to find a path or for those who have been struggling to find meaning in their current careers.
Customer Reviews
Wish there was a shortened version
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.
Relevant
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.
Every college student and young professional should read this book
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.