What Should I Do With My Life?
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Are you looking for the right path in 2023? This book tackles the question that most of us face at some point in our lives: 'what should I do with my life?', and provides illuminating answers.
Bronson's book is a fascinating account of finding and following the people who have taken the ultimate challenge of self-discovery by uprooting their lives and starting all over again. From the investment banker who gave it all up to become a catfish farmer in Mississippi, to the chemical engineer from Walthamstow who decided to become a lawyer in his sixties. These stories of individual dilemmas and dramatic - sometimes unsuccessful - gambles are bound up with Bronson's account of his own search for a calling.
'Inspirational... This book fascinates because of the broad spectrum of testimonies' Financial Times
'Something more than the usual self-help guff. What Should I Do with My Life? is closer to the oral histories of Studs Terkel or This American Life than to Tony Robbins' Times
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this elevated career guide, Bronson (Bombardiers; The Nudist on the Late Shift) poses the titular question to an eclectic mix of "real people in the real world," compiling their experiences and insights about callings, self-acceptance, moral guilt, greed and ambition, and emotional rejuvenation. Bronson crisscrosses the country seeking out remarkable examples of successful and not-so-successful people confronting tough issues, such as differentiating between a curiosity and a passion and deciding whether or not to make money first in order to fund one's dream. Bronson frames the edited responses with witty, down-to-earth commentaries, such as those of John, an engineer whose dream of building an electric car crumbled under his personal weaknesses; and Ashley, a do-gooder burdened by the unlikely combination of self-hatred and a love for humanity. Bronson wants to understand what makes these people among them a timid college career counselor trapped in his job, a farmer bullish on risk-taking, a financial expert grabbing an opportunity to rebuild her brokerage firm devastated by the World Trade Center tragedy and a scientist who rethinks his lifelong work and becomes a lawyer tick. He occasionally digresses, musing on his own life too much, and frequently hammers points home longer than necessary, but neither of these drawbacks undercuts the book's potency. The "ultimate question" is a topic always in season, worthy of Bronson's skillful probing and careful anecdote selection. 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. Photos.
Customer Reviews
Just the book I needed
So many times I thought “this is me” and when I didn’t think that I was fascinated by the story told. It was both comforting and educational, demonstrating that there are many ways to answer the question “what should I do with my life?”
I liked that it talked about the hard graft and challenges people had to go through, as well as the sacrifices they had to make. It was inspiring to read these stories. Not because they were about people doing what they loved, but that they’d found what the right balance was in being themselves. Sometimes this meant doing a job, so they could have more time with their loved ones, not pursuing a passion in career.
The absence of self help type advice meant I could enjoy reading the book without being distracted by the “doing” part of my brain. I actually felt I could absorb the messages of the book more because of this.
I would read more of these stories if another edition came out because it’s a small insight into different lives, that opens up a new perspective.