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"Brimming with stories of sacrifice, courage, commitment and, sometimes, failure, the book will support anyone pondering a major life choice or risk without force-feeding them pat solutions."--Publishers Weekly In What Should I Do with My Life? Po Bronson tells the inspirational true stories of people who have found the most meaningful answers to that great question. With humor, empathy, and insight, Bronson writes of remarkable individuals--from young to old, from those just starting out to those in a second career--who have overcome fear and confusion to find a larger truth about their lives and, in doing so, have been transformed by the experience. What Should I Do with My Life? struck a powerful, resonant chord on publication, causing a multitude of people to rethink their vocations and priorities and start on the path to finding their true place in the world. For this edition, Bronson has added nine new profiles, to further reflect the range and diversity of those who broke away from the chorus to learn the sound of their own voice.… (more)
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2002
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LibraryThing member AnnaOok
The book is interesting as a collection of life-stories, but I got more and more annoyed with the author's implied worldview as I went on. The idea of financial/"conventional" success is so deeply ingrained in his thinking that it shines through as a touchstone, as what the dialogue is all about,
Also (and he recognizes this himself in the afterword), the life-stories are overwhelmingly of people in that kind of world, corporate/financial and the commercial arts -- whether people who spent their whole life in it, or who left it, or who got into it after an unlikely start.
A book by an alien about aliens can be ethnographically fascinating, but it's not much use as a self-help book. And when it implies more universality than it is entitled to, it gets really annoying.
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even when he tries to say that this is not what really matters. Which makes it alien, and irritating, if you're someone who genuinely doesn't have this as their implied measure of self-worth and never had it. Also (and he recognizes this himself in the afterword), the life-stories are overwhelmingly of people in that kind of world, corporate/financial and the commercial arts -- whether people who spent their whole life in it, or who left it, or who got into it after an unlikely start.
A book by an alien about aliens can be ethnographically fascinating, but it's not much use as a self-help book. And when it implies more universality than it is entitled to, it gets really annoying.
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LibraryThing member Talbin
Po Bronson's What Should I Do With My Life is a collection of stories from people who are at various stages of evaluating what their purpose in life is. This is not a how-to book or a guidebook about choosing a career. Rather, it's a bunch of stories that the reader can use (or not) to examine his
Bronson is an informal writer, which suits this topic well. I've read this once before, and for some reason I remembered it as full of "inspirational" stories. The second time through, though, I realize that at least 70% of the stories are really unresolved. Bronson really highlights that it's a process that not everyone goes through smoothly, or even finishes. It's easy to get derailed and to get sucked into what's easy. Overall, I think I appreciated this book more the second time.
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or her life. Bronson has a few guiding principals - examine who sits at your inner table (who you seem to justify your actions to), and look deeply for what you most value rather than what seems to be the most exciting.Bronson is an informal writer, which suits this topic well. I've read this once before, and for some reason I remembered it as full of "inspirational" stories. The second time through, though, I realize that at least 70% of the stories are really unresolved. Bronson really highlights that it's a process that not everyone goes through smoothly, or even finishes. It's easy to get derailed and to get sucked into what's easy. Overall, I think I appreciated this book more the second time.
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LibraryThing member Fraucopter
I bought this one when I was at a point in my life in which I was asking the question posed in the title, read it, found it unremarkable and cheesy, then ended up selling it to a used book store. I think the appeal of this book hinges on what you're looking to get out of it. It's essentially a book
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of inspirational stories that will bring a smile to your face, but aren't too intellectually stimulating. If you're looking for a better collection of stories based around people talking about their jobs, try Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs by Bowe et al or Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs Terkel. Both Terkel and Bowe do a fantastic job of letting the interviewees stories shine for themselves instead of trying a little too hard to reach for a sappy sweet moral like Bronson does. However, you might like this title if you're looking for some feel good inspiration al la the Chicken Soup series. Nothing wrong with those books or What Should I do With My Life for that matter, but they're just not to my taste Show Less
LibraryThing member Becca_Lausch
A collection of interviews reflecting upon the common themes of achievement, self-realization, and life goals. Through 54 snapshot portraits of individuals, author Po Bronson captures questions asked, failed dreams, rewarding successes, and lessons learned from a very diverse cross-section of
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society while at the same time paralleling his own personal journey in identifying purpose and fulfillment in existing as a human being. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheAmpersand
Most people, most Americans anyway, of my generation can't expect to spend their entire lives with one company, or even in one industry. The best thing about "What Should I Do With My Life," then, is that it provides a clear, honest picture of how complex and chaotic career paths can be these days.
The problem with Bronson's book, and the reason I didn't finish reading it, is that, despite its relatively simple mission and Bronson's more-or-less unadorned prose style, it contains a well-hidden but unmistakable current of what might be termed Bullshit Business Spirituality. You know, the sort hawked by management consultants who've trademarked a raft of touchy-feely buzzwords and self-absorbed MBA-wielding jackasses who think they're so interesting that they need to publish their memoirs. I've only read a few excerpts of John Bowe's "Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs," but it seemed a more honest and direct piece of work. Let's face it: only a twenty-first century American would title a book about the workplace "What Should I Do With My Life," and while some people are lucky enough to find fulfillment in the workplace, there's also a pretty good argument for remembering that what moist people call real life takes place elsewhere. Heck, in this economy, most people feel lucky if they can cover both the rent and the electric bill each month. While Bronson makes a serious and sincere attempt to understand his subjects' stories and usefully interpret their career trajectories, his book, like most attempts to fuse capitalism and spiritual contentment, comes off as naive at best and foolish and hollow at worst. Funnily enough, this isn't to say that some people won't find it useful or inspiring; at the very least, it'll let people who didn't find their life's vocation the first few times out that they're not alone. Still, I'd rather get my inspiration elsewhere.
p.s.: This review was written during a lull in the workday on an office computer. What do you say to that, Po?
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The people who are the subjects of Bronson's stories one thing and then another, they fall into jobs as if by accident, they abandon careers they've spent decades training for and even turn hobbies into whole new careers. For better or for worse, "What Should I Do With My Life" could be called "The Way We Work Now."The problem with Bronson's book, and the reason I didn't finish reading it, is that, despite its relatively simple mission and Bronson's more-or-less unadorned prose style, it contains a well-hidden but unmistakable current of what might be termed Bullshit Business Spirituality. You know, the sort hawked by management consultants who've trademarked a raft of touchy-feely buzzwords and self-absorbed MBA-wielding jackasses who think they're so interesting that they need to publish their memoirs. I've only read a few excerpts of John Bowe's "Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs," but it seemed a more honest and direct piece of work. Let's face it: only a twenty-first century American would title a book about the workplace "What Should I Do With My Life," and while some people are lucky enough to find fulfillment in the workplace, there's also a pretty good argument for remembering that what moist people call real life takes place elsewhere. Heck, in this economy, most people feel lucky if they can cover both the rent and the electric bill each month. While Bronson makes a serious and sincere attempt to understand his subjects' stories and usefully interpret their career trajectories, his book, like most attempts to fuse capitalism and spiritual contentment, comes off as naive at best and foolish and hollow at worst. Funnily enough, this isn't to say that some people won't find it useful or inspiring; at the very least, it'll let people who didn't find their life's vocation the first few times out that they're not alone. Still, I'd rather get my inspiration elsewhere.
p.s.: This review was written during a lull in the workday on an office computer. What do you say to that, Po?
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LibraryThing member bibliobibuli
Questions really don’t come any bigger than “What Should I do With My Life?�Â? but most of us probably back off from answering it too directly as we get on with the day to day business of making a living. Author Po Bronson found himself confronting the question when he found himself at a
âÂÂSuccessâÂ? in career tends to be measured in terms of money, possessions and respect, , but real âÂÂsuccessâÂ? says Bronson brings a person closer and closer âÂÂto finding that spot where heâÂÂs no longer held back by his heart, and he explodes with talent, and his character blossoms, and the gift he has to offer the world is apparentâÂ?. The people in the book are concerned with succeeding in these terms and most of them have made considerable sacrifices to find the place where they most belong in life. Among the people we meet in the book are: a businessman who left a privileged life to become a cop on the graveyard shift; a lawyer who made the switch to truck driver so that he could spend more time with his son; a chemist who turned to law only after his retirement; a PhD Literature student who became a chef; and an investment banker who found satisfaction in becoming a catfish farmer.
It is a tribute to BronsonâÂÂs skill as an interviewer that he is able to get these folks to bare their souls to him, and in every case, they come across as real individuals that we can identify with. The result is a highly readable book rather than dry social document. Bronson, it has to be said, is a much more intrusive interviewer than most, often pushing his subjects to think through difficult and painful issues when they seemed stalled. He also weaves bits of his personal story into the narrative: heâÂÂs learning from everyone he meets, finding new ways to approach his own life story, and this book represents his journey every bit as much as theirs.
Although the stories are all so different, patterns do emerge. For a start, thereâÂÂs probably some comfort to be gained from the fact that most peopleâÂÂs lives are as messy and complicated as ours. Most people made mistakes before summoning the courage to get it right and often the hardest lessons need to be learned more than once. Almost no-one knew what they wanted at the beginning of their working lives (and if they thought they did, they were likely to be wrong about it) and many of the people in the book are very late starters, finding their true calling after many years of being in the wrong place. And more people stumbled by accident into a better life than those who arrived there by reasoned planning. Misfortune, whether in the form of illness, divorce or redundancy turns out to be the biggest catalyst for change, giving folks the courage to take risks and to reach out for what theyâÂÂve always wanted from life.
The book does not offer any kind of a step-by-step plan for changing our lives because each one of us must tread our own path. It does, however, provide plenty of food for thought, and is an excellent starting point for reflecting about what you want out of your own life, and how you might get there.
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crossroads in his own life, about to become a father for the first time and not sure where his writing career was taking him. He looked around for other people who were brave enough to follow their hearts and search for deeper meaning in their lives, and travelled the length and breadth of the United States (with short trips to Britain and Hong Kong) to interview more than 900 of them. Fifty of the interviews appear in the book.âÂÂSuccessâÂ? in career tends to be measured in terms of money, possessions and respect, , but real âÂÂsuccessâÂ? says Bronson brings a person closer and closer âÂÂto finding that spot where heâÂÂs no longer held back by his heart, and he explodes with talent, and his character blossoms, and the gift he has to offer the world is apparentâÂ?. The people in the book are concerned with succeeding in these terms and most of them have made considerable sacrifices to find the place where they most belong in life. Among the people we meet in the book are: a businessman who left a privileged life to become a cop on the graveyard shift; a lawyer who made the switch to truck driver so that he could spend more time with his son; a chemist who turned to law only after his retirement; a PhD Literature student who became a chef; and an investment banker who found satisfaction in becoming a catfish farmer.
It is a tribute to BronsonâÂÂs skill as an interviewer that he is able to get these folks to bare their souls to him, and in every case, they come across as real individuals that we can identify with. The result is a highly readable book rather than dry social document. Bronson, it has to be said, is a much more intrusive interviewer than most, often pushing his subjects to think through difficult and painful issues when they seemed stalled. He also weaves bits of his personal story into the narrative: heâÂÂs learning from everyone he meets, finding new ways to approach his own life story, and this book represents his journey every bit as much as theirs.
Although the stories are all so different, patterns do emerge. For a start, thereâÂÂs probably some comfort to be gained from the fact that most peopleâÂÂs lives are as messy and complicated as ours. Most people made mistakes before summoning the courage to get it right and often the hardest lessons need to be learned more than once. Almost no-one knew what they wanted at the beginning of their working lives (and if they thought they did, they were likely to be wrong about it) and many of the people in the book are very late starters, finding their true calling after many years of being in the wrong place. And more people stumbled by accident into a better life than those who arrived there by reasoned planning. Misfortune, whether in the form of illness, divorce or redundancy turns out to be the biggest catalyst for change, giving folks the courage to take risks and to reach out for what theyâÂÂve always wanted from life.
The book does not offer any kind of a step-by-step plan for changing our lives because each one of us must tread our own path. It does, however, provide plenty of food for thought, and is an excellent starting point for reflecting about what you want out of your own life, and how you might get there.
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LibraryThing member rachelv
A fun book. Won't help you figure out what you want to do with your life, but will probably inspire you to give it some serious thought. Written as lots of short antecdotes, so it's great for reading on the train or subway.
LibraryThing member ntempest
I know a lot of people were frustrated this because it's not really an answer book. But I loved it, found it inspiring. I'm the kind of reader who enjoys walking in another person's shoes a bit, even if I wouldn't want to live in them permanently, and this is that type of opportunity. And
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ultimately, no one can tell you what to do. This book just shows how other people set out to answer the question for themselves. Revelatory. Show Less
LibraryThing member seekingflight
One of my favourite books at the moment - a thought-provoking piece of qualitative research, in which Bronson reports on interviews with a number of people about the way in which they've tried to answer this question in thier lives, and synthesises the conclusions he's drawn from these interviews
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in ways that are both reassuring and challenging. Show Less
LibraryThing member zoomball
Read by the author. Well done. I only learned at the end that the audio version I listened to was abridged. I felt badly about this because I really warmed to the book as it went along.
LibraryThing member pussreboots
'm almost done with this book. I've enjoyed the short chapters—each one a brief glance at those pivetal moments in one's life. I know I've had a few of those "ah ha!" moments that have so changed my course of life and career and I've many similar stories from friends and relatives. My only
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complaint is that sometimes Po Bronson feels the need to interject herself and question the wisdom and direction her interviewees take which is completely contrary to the spirit of the book! Show Less
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
The author interviews people who struggled to find what they really wanted to do in life. Issues they faced included other people's perceptions, lack of courage, drop in salary, balancing ethics and desires, and understanding where their passions lay.
LibraryThing member AngelaLam
Meticulously researched and exceptionally well-written, this book explores 55 people's different responses to finding meaningful work and meaningful lives.
LibraryThing member WellReadSoutherner
I really think this should be titled "What Other People Did with Their Life." There were some helpful ideas but it told stories of what other people went through and didn't much help me with my issue.
LibraryThing member Chris.Wolak
Don't wait for epiphanies, be true to yourself, explore little glimmers of interest.