Review

“Stop worrying about what you feel like doing (and what the world owes you) and instead, start creating something meaningful and then give it to the world. Cal really delivers with this one.”

–Seth Godin, author, Linchpin

“Entrepreneurial professionals must develop a competitive advantage by building valuable skills. This book offers advice based on research and reality–not meaningless platitudes– on how to invest in yourself in order to stand out from the crowd. An important guide to starting up a remarkable career.”

–Reid Hoffman, co-founder & chairman of LinkedIn and co-author of the bestselling The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career

“Do what you love and the money will follow’ sounds like great advice — until it’s time to get a job and disillusionment quickly sets in. Cal Newport ably demonstrates how the quest for ‘passion’ can corrode job satisfaction. If all he accomplished with this book was to turn conventional wisdom on its head, that would be interesting enough. But he goes further — offering advice and examples that will help you bypass the disillusionment and get right to work building skills that matter.”

–Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind

“This book changed my mind. It has moved me from ‘find your passion, so that you can be useful’ to ‘be useful so that you can find your passion.’ That is a big flip, but it’s more honest, and that is why I am giving each of my three young adult children a copy of this unorthodox guide.”

–Kevin Kelly, Senior Maverick, WIRED magazine

“First book in years I read twice, to make sure I got it. Brilliant counter-intuitive career insights. Powerful new ideas that have already changed the way I think of my own career, and the advice I give others.”

–Derek Sivers, founder, CD Baby

“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.”

–Publishers Weekly

Book Description

In this extraordinary eye-opening account, Georgetown University professor Dr. Calvin Newport debunks the long-held traditional notion that “following your passion” is good career advice.

About the Author

Cal Newport’s background is in computer engineering, and is currently on the faculty at Geogetown. He runs the popular advice blog, Study Hacks, and has a tremendous presence and following online.