Synopses & Reviews
Some people are content to help fulfill the dreams of their employers. But my guess is youre not one of them. You were born with a dream of your own. And this year, youre doing something about it.”
Somewhere along your road to adulthood, you pushed your dreams to the side. You had to pay bills. You feared taking a risk on yourself. And so you settled into an unfulfilling, perhaps even unpleasant career. If its any comfort, youre far from alone; 66 percent of Americans hate their jobs.
But what if someone could guide you, step-by-step, as you identify, plan, and launch your dream careerin just one year. Thats what Ben Arment does in his transformative coaching class, which has helped hundreds of people reinvent their lives to enjoy greater enthusiasm and fulfillment while also making a living.
Now hes sharing his best insights, advice, and inspiring true stories in Dream Year. Youll find out how people just like you are discovering (or rediscovering) what they were truly born to do, then following a proven process to make it real. And youll meet men and women such as . . .
- Chuck Templeton, who created an online reservation system, OpenTable, that now serves more than thirty thousand restaurants worldwide.
- Katie Strandlund, who launched her own event-planning business and developed a full and deeply gratifying client list.
- Fabien Riggall, who combined his love for film and theater into a unique experience called Secret Cinema, which has reached 120,000 people.
- Hilary Barnett, who started a social media company that now employs several team members and creates content for national brands.
Theres no dream too big to be beyond the power of the Dream Year process. But before you conclude that this all sounds terrifyingly risky, consider Arments wise words:
Worst-case scenarios rarely happen. And even when they do, theyre not as bad as we think. In fact, what most of us call a worst-case scenario is often just a reduction in our standard of living. If it becomes as bad as youd feared, you can always get another job. You can recover your life savings. You can get your dignity back. But you can never recover what you never tried at all.”
Review
"Chris Guillebeau is the Indiana Jones of career experts. With his signature insight and humor, he tackles a critical question: How do we forge the life of our dreams in the face of overwhelming pressure to conform and avoid risks? In The Art of Non-Conformity, Chris adds a fresh perspective, drawn from his non-conforming adventures, to the lively debate. Those who follow Chris's wildly popular blog will welcome these ideas in the more comprehensive book form — or give it as a gift to people who need it." Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project
Review
"This is a direct, honest and truly scary book. I hope you have the guts to listen to what Chris has to say, and not become one of the monkeys he warns you about." Seth Godin, author of Linchpin
Review
"The Art of Non-Conformity is like a lightning bolt to the head. Read it and your brain will spark and sizzle." Neil Pasricha, author of The Book of Awesome
Review
"The conventional world order has blown up, much to the relief of students, cubicle dwellers, artists and activists who knew there was a better way. This brilliant book will wake you up and inspire you as it guides you to create a new life on your own terms, earn a great living and positively impact your corner of the world." Pamela Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation
Synopsis
If you've ever thought, "There must be more to life than this,"
The Art of Non-Conformity is for you.
Based on Chris Guillebeau's popular online manifesto "A Brief Guide to World Domination," The Art of Non-Conformity defies common assumptions about life and work while arming you with the tools to live differently. You'll discover how to live on your own terms by exploring creative self-employment, radical goal-setting, contrarian travel, and embracing life as a constant adventure.
Inspired and guided by Chris's own story and those of others who have pursued unconventional lives, you can devise your own plan for world domination — and make the world a better place at the same time.
Synopsis
Based on Guillebeau's popular online manifesto "A Brief Guide to World Domination," this work explains to readers how to set their own rules, live the life they want, and change the world.
Synopsis
If you've ever thought, "There must be more to life than this," The Art of Non-Conformity is for you.
Based on Chris Guillebeau's popular online manifesto "A Brief Guide to World Domination," The Art of Non-Conformity defies common assumptions about life and work while arming you with the tools to live differently. You'll discover how to live on your own terms by exploring creative self-employment, radical goal-setting, contrarian travel, and embracing life as a constant adventure.
Inspired and guided by Chris's own story and those of others who have pursued unconventional lives, you can devise your own plan for world domination-and make the world a better place at the same time.
Synopsis
If you've ever thought, "There must be more to life than this," The Art of Non-Conformity is for you.
Based on Chris Guillebeau's popular online manifesto "A Brief Guide to World Domination," The Art of Non-Conformity defies common assumptions about life and work while arming you with the tools to live differently. You'll discover how to live on your own terms by exploring creative self-employment, radical goal-setting, contrarian travel, and embracing life as a constant adventure.
Inspired and guided by Chris's own story and those of others who have pursued unconventional lives, you can devise your own plan for world domination-and make the world a better place at the same time.
Synopsis
These days its increasingly rare to have a stable career in any field. More and more of us are blending big company jobs, startup gigs, freelance work, and volunteer side projects. We take chances to expand our knowledge, capabilities, and experience. But how do we make sense of that kind of careerand explain it?
Pamela Slim, the acclaimed author of Escape from Cubicle Nation, gives us the tools to have meaningful careers in this new world of work. She shows how to find the connections among diverse accomplishments, sell your story, and continually reinvent and relaunch your brand.
Synopsis
The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Marcus Aurelius
We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it neednt be this way. There is a formula for success thats been followed by the icons of historyfrom John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobsa formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities. Faced with impossible situations, they found the astounding triumphs we all seek.
These men and women were not exceptionally brilliant, lucky, or gifted. Their success came from timeless philosophical principles laid down by a Roman emperor who struggled to articulate a method for excellence in any and all situations.
This book reveals that formula for the first timeand shows us how we can turn our own adversity into advantage.
Synopsis
The get ready, get going guide to navigating career change and doing work you love New York Times bestselling author Jon Acuff has drawn millions of online fans who love his refreshing mix of humor, honesty, and wisdom about the world of work. Now he offers his most important book yet, a guide to making big career changesand#151;by choice or necessityand#151;and escaping the horrible feeling of being trapped in the wrong job.
Acuff finds it amazing that people spend more than eighteen years studying and preparing for college, but little or no time honing their careers between graduation and retirement. He offers an empowering tool he calls the Career Savings Account, which will change the way readers think about their skills, relationships, character, and work ethic. He also shows that if youand#8217;re on the wrong track, you already have what you need to change itand#151;even if your family and mortgage mean you canand#8217;t simply pick up and move for a new opportunity.
Throughout the book, Acuff features inspiring and funny true storiesand#151;not merely his own, but those of friends who restarted their careers after a layoff, an extended maternity leave, or simply the realization that they were suffering fifty weeks a year just to pay the bills and enjoy two weeks of vacation. Everyone can benefit from Do Over, from new graduates to fiftysomethings and beyond.
About the Author
Chris Guillebeau writes for an army of remarkable people at ChrisGuillebeau.com. He is also a regular contributor to CNN.com, Business Week, Huffington Post, and other outlets.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Chris Guillebeau