So Good They Can't Ignore You

The title sounds a little pompous but I was pleasantly surprised by the book. For one, it busts the myth of the passion hypothesis (“Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life”) I have always been skeptical of that hypothesis so was glad to see it being disproven using research and even anecdotes of people who are held up as examples of passion-driven career. The emphasis on patiently and often painstakingly developing your craftsman (craftsperson?) skills and then cashing in your career capital seems to be how most successful people land on their feet. It takes Gladwell's 10,000 hours to the next level and emphasizes deliberate practice as one of the key things in honing your craft. This applies to not only artists, musicians, athletes, but also programmers, managers, social scientists, etc. This fits right in the growth mindset pantheon as even the person with seemingly the most latent talent has to still practice his craft to stay relevant.

Add social capital to the mix and you'll realize quickly how a certain segment of the population are more likely to “drop everything and travel the world” only to come back to their parent's basement while they recover to look for something that pays the bills. Newport succinctly puts his 5 rules to the test and weaves a coherent path between them toward career success. The advice may not be the easiest to follow but at least it warns you where you may be going wrong.

It's a quick and short read and stays on the point. I recommend it just for the first couple of chapters.