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So Good They Can't Ignore You

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About this listen

 Cal Newport's clearly-written manifesto flies in the face of conventional wisdom by suggesting that it should be a person's talent and skill - and not necessarily their passion - that determines their career path.

Newport, who graduated from Dartmouth College (Phi Beta Kappa) and earned a PhD. from MIT, contends that trying to find what drives us, instead of focusing on areas in which we naturally excel, is ultimately harmful and frustrating to job seekers.

The title is a direct quote from comedian Steve Martin who, when once asked why he was successful in his career, immediately replied: "Be so good they can't ignore you" and that's the main basis for Newport's book. Skill and ability trump passion.

Inspired by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs' famous Stanford University commencement speech in which Jobs urges idealistic grads to chase their dreams, Newport takes issue with that advice, claiming that not only is thsi advice Pollyannish, but that Jobs himself never followed his own advice.

From there, Newport presents compelling scientific and contemporary case study evidence that the key to one's career success is to find out what you do well, where you have built up your 'career capital,' and then to put all of your efforts into that direction.©2012 Calvin C. Newport Career Success Employment Motivation & Self-Improvement Career Inspiring Comedy

Critic reviews

Stop worrying about what you feel like doing and instead, start creating something meaningful and then give it to the world. Cal really delivers with this one (Seth Godin, author of 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)
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)
All stars
Most relevant
This book is in many ways similar to Dan Pink's - Drive. It has its own slant on autonomy, mastery and purpose. It also draws on Malcolm Gladwell's - Outliers. It is a book that in many ways contradicts the "all you need is passion and courage" snake oil so prevalent on social media at present. If you like Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Pink you'll love this.

Great book - really enjoyed it

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Really interesting book if want to further your career. Have to admit I missed the last 30 minutes (glossary eurgh)

Really interesting

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I had never heard of this book before and didn’t know the author. I stumbled upon it by chance and Vuala! What an incredible book that taught me important lessons I need in my professional life. The term career-capital will stay with me for a long time.

The book is fantastic, offering valuable insights whether for your career or personal life. With beautiful, practical, and easy-to-follow advice, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.

The narrator is also superb; his narration perfectly complements the book.

Incredible, must read book

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This year I’ve read a lot of personal and career development books. This will be the last one for a long time. We spend so much of our lives working and I’ve finally found a guide that cuts through this passion myth and speaks to everyone. Gonna take my time to really absorb the message in this book. Can’t recommend highly enough.

Only career development book you’ll ever need

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this to anyone who's planning or in the process of building their professional career, regardless whether they're happy with it or not.

What other book might you compare So Good They Can't Ignore You to, and why?

How to Get Things Done by David Allen, it's similar concept, but is a lot more broad and almost timeless, I think more people would find this book more useful.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

First part of the book, when "follow your passion" mindset is deconstructed.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A film cannot be made out of this book, it's a guide or a manual.

Great professional self development guide

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