Customer Reviews

Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There are three major benefits that you will gain from reading this book.

First it will serve as a motivation to all who want to give up the rut we all call a job and move out on their own.

The second benefit is really a step by step guide about how to move out on your own. Not only does Jonathan tell you how, he gives links to hundreds of resources to help you accomplish what you want.

The third valuable benefit is the wisdom that Jonathan shares from his own experiences.

The third benefit is perhaps the most valuable. Under the wisdom he shares, there are two very valuable lessons - either of them worth the price of the book.

The first lesson is how to deal with fear. Here Jonathan gives some extremely good advice. Fear is probably the number one reason most people do not achieve their dreams. His advice is to explore and quantify the fear. Ask what are the consequences of failure, what is the worst case scenario, and examine the results. Often this will put fear in perspective. Then let go of the fear. Do this only once and let go.

Then you need to explore and quantify inaction. What are the results of doing nothing? If "staying the course is going to create a miserable future", that should be an unacceptable alternative. Once you explore and quantify inaction, let go. Again do this only once. What you focus on expands. So only examine the fear and inaction once and then move on.

Then the important part is to stimulate success daily. Again, what we focus on expands. So stimulate success daily. You do this by being clear about what you want, believing you can achieve it and taking focused action.

The other huge lesson is how, when and why to involve others family/friends/mentors in your mission

The last lesson is probably the best advice in the entire book. There is no one person, guru, mentor who can give you the magic formula or set of directions that will work for you. In the final analysis, "no one can stand in your shoes. No one else can take action but you."

Take responsibility for your own life.

Ask yourself this question, "Will this career choice let me spend the greatest amount of time absorbed in the activities and relationships that make me come alive while earning the living I need to live?"

The book is well written and easy to read. If you really wish to change your life, to take charge and put your future in your own hands, this is a great place to start.

If you've ever wondered how you can turn your passion into a business, this book is probably the best place to look for answers. The author, who left a career in law years ago to pursue his dreams as an entrepreneur, describes in great detail seven often overlooked ways to make money doing what you love.

He starts by explaining how each particular strategy can work for you, and follows through with real life examples and a list of resources for you to dig deeper on your own. Then, he continues to guide us through the process of marketing our dream, the basics of Internet marketing, and how to use blogs and social media to make our mark in the world and gain influence.

Perhaps the passage of the book that I liked the most is when the author talks about conventional wisdom, and how it gets in the way of identifying opportunity. Learning to defy conventional wisdom (or what others may call "thinking out of the box") is the best way to discover niches that nobody is addressing and that you can turn into a business.

With that frame of mind and the practical tips in this book, you shouldn't have any problem finding work that is at the same time lucrative and fulfilling.

Amazon shoved this book under my nose in their recommendations, so I checked it out. On one hand, it's an "advice" book (red flag) and its page here is full of very suspicious-looking five-star reviews (another red flag). Otoh, the title sounds catchy, so I -- no, no, I didn't buy it -- I checked it out in our library (hehe).

I could barely finish it: it's hard to follow (because it's poorly written -- cogency is lacking: his thought jumps around a lot w/o easy-to-follow logical progression, at times descending into gibberish), and then it's just a lot of fluff -- his advice amounts to a lot of obvious things that would occur to anyone who'd invest a quarter hour into considering one's options (with traditional skippages in narrative over moments that look magical when not detailed, making you wonder who populates the skid row if everything is so doable).

It is also very cliched: every paragraph contains "value-laden", "remarkability", or "passion-based" this and that; horrible English and very bad style that is reminiscent of this late-night TV guy in black suit and with huge teeth who was big about fifteen-twenty years ago and whose name I forget. Usage errors. I mean, a lot of this book reads like a first draft by a not particularly literary man. Of course, the author has a website, and is some sort of self-proclaimed "career expert".

But in general, the most of this book is very superficial advice on how to use "social media" in order to inflate yourself into some sort of "expert" or "maven" (I'm sure you noticed that 99% of "social-media" content is horse manure energetically churned by self-proclaimed experts out to shove something down your throat that you don't need -- and advice on how to join the ranks of these hacks is not what I was looking for).

A lack of a standard bibliography section and an index do not improve matters either (every non-fiction, informational book should have those). Otoh, the books he quotes tend to be fluff as well (Godin, Rath, Gladwell and similar self-serving beschmutzers of the noosphere), so perhaps not much is lost. It's probably a cabal: they tend to promote one another's books; probably an unstated "scratch-my-back" obligation among the members of the crowd.

Bottom line: As time-wasting twaddle this book gets one star from me -- there's no reason for it to exist. Not recommended.

Added later: I find myself going back to this book for the sakes of the large number of website links in it. Since I am obviously extracting _some_ value out of this book, I'm bumping up the rating to two and a half stars. If I have to borrow it again from the library, maybe I'll simply buy a copy if I can find one cheap. Bottomline: not a good book, but as a catalogue of links it may be useful -- to some, perhaps, maybe.

I am near the beginning of my journey of making the necessary changes to make a living doing what I love. I am so grateful to Jonathan for this book. Not only has it inspired me anew, but I will be referring to it again and again, on each step of my journey. His information is impressive in its scope and depth. I now feel that, instead of standing before a huge mountain, I now face it equipped with a set of mountaineering gear to begin my climb. I am more skilled at using some tools than others, but fear and reservation have been replaced with determination, inspiration and specific ideas of how to move ahead. This book is chock full of practical advice, lists, and bullets points of how to begin new explorations and tackle problems step by step as they arise. So here I go! Thank you, Jonathan!

I'm not terribly patient when it comes to this sort of thing and, quite frankly, I don't have much faith in "inspirational" books and speakers. I have to admit, however, that this book gave me a run for my money. Jonathan Fields has created a powerful, persuasive, accessible, well-written read that provides both real life illustrations of extremely positive, true change, and numerous engaging, exciting action steps to get started.

Career Renegade somehow manages to be an activity guide without being a workbook, and Fields finds a way to actually "speak" off the page. In an encouraging but honest tone, he walks the reader through the underlying process of finding what makes one's heart jump -- which, of course, lies at the heart of professional happiness.

Unlike some books, though, Fields doesn't stop short. Throughout, he presents a wealth of information and resources, ripe for researching. It's all in one place, and the ease of that alone was a huge plus for me (see first sentence of this review re: patience).

Whether you've left your place of employment (voluntarily or otherwise), or whether you're still maintaining your gig but sense even the slightest bit of unrest and dream of something more fulfilling, this book has the words and wherewithal to get you over the wall into a new professional sphere. Or, at the very least, it'll get you climbing.

There are lots of books out there that purport to help you turn entrepreneur and make mega-bucks. Few are worthwhile. This is definitely big time worthwhile. So is Pam Slim's "Escape From Cubicle Nation".

Career Renegade is not a "You can make millions of dollars sitting by the pool in your underwear" book and it is not a "Somehow the money will find you if you love what you do" book. Rather, it is a book that shows you how there are many, many ways in which you can make a quite decent living out of the knowledge you have - or can get - about things you are passionate about. And, he also shows you how to discover what you are passionate about. Lots of good stories to illustrate his points. For instance, Harlan Kilstein wanted to promote his hypnosis franchise and discovered his love of writing while creating advertising for his venture. He is now also a world-class and well compensated copywriter.

Two things make this a super book and one thing leaves you somewhat hanging.

The first good thing is that Jonathan clearly lays out your situation and why you should do something about it now. You probably have thought quite a bit about the "risk" of breaking out on your own. It is unlikely that you have explicitly considered the "risk" of not doing so. How about years - or decades - of desultory living in uncongenial surroundings and the attendant adverse health factors? He gives you a good framework to do your own analysis. He also shows you the many ways in which you can re-configure your business model around what it is you love anyway. For example, there was the artist who could not make it in the regular art world. So she created her own niche by teaming up with vineyards to paint their fields and sell them to well-heeled tourists who came for wine-tastings. One insight that many will find reassuring is that you don't have to be world-class in your field to make a decent living - you just have to be pretty good and willing to work hard at it.

The second neat thing about the book is that he gives you tons of references and resources. He tells you where you can get excellent copywriting tips. How to find out which the most popular blogs are and what is the protocol for reaching out to a top blogger. What are the social media sites - Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc - and how to use them. He shows you how to use the audience-votes-count sites like Digg. Its worth buying the book just for the resource list and tips on how to use them. Do take notes as you go through the chapters. It would have been very useful if there had been an appendix that listed all the resources that he scatters throughout the book.

The thing that sometimes leaves you hanging is that he occasionally makes statements that many readers cannot take action on. For example, on page 98 he recommends that you do an intellectual property search to make sure that no one has already created and protected the idea you want to market. But he does not tell you what this is or how to do it or how much it may cost. He was a good attorney so he perhaps assumed a level of knowledge the average reader does not have. But this is a minor flaw and I suggest that you simply contact him via his website if you need clarification

So, if the thought of spending the next ten years at your job doing what you presently do makes you sick to the gills, run and get this book. Read it. And then TAKE ACTION. He tells you what to do and how to do it. But its pretty useless unless you actually DO it!!

This book was recommended to me by a close friend---one of many who offered editing suggestions on my last book---but I don't remember which one. Whoever you are, thank you so much!

Consider this quote from the Introduction:

"It's funny how the corporate grind gets hold of you. By the time you graduate college or grad school, a mountain of debt keeps you locked into a quest to earn as much as possible and pay off your loans. With each year, you earn more and fight your way up the ladder. But then, an odd thing happens.

"You don't ever get free.

"At some point, it dawns on you that the corporate ladder is really more of a treadmill."

Fields goes on to tell his own story of leaving a high-powered law practice to follow his dreams, and of making a great living doing what really made him happy. He wrote:

"... the single greatest thing that stopped me from doing what I loved was the fear that I'd either end up poor or a failure--or both....It's been a dozen years since I made the jump....My goal was three-fold: Make a great living; Love what I did; Be around people I loved....And so I started out on a new path."

Not only was Fields successful in this path, but he uses the book to teach readers how to follow this new path for themselves. This book, published in 2009, is both timely and excellent.

I think the book could be significantly improved by including more traditional ideas and suggestions for entrepreneurs. Perhaps the author felt that these are covered adequately in other books. But anyone reading this should certainly also read the excellent writings of Wallace Wattles, Geoffrey Moore, Jim Collins, Warren Bennis, Guy Kawasaki, Steve Farber, Ken Blanchard, Brady and Woodward, and Seth Godin.

An excellent read even for those of us already firmly in the entrepreneurial world. Fields knows his stuff and doesn't gloss over the hard parts. He does, though, deliver on the title. Even though I already love what I do, the book started me thinking about other paths as well.

Absolutely packed with practical information and resources. The success stories are much more than feel-good 'see? it can be done!' They're usable examples.

The list of Career Renegade paths is a tool I'll use the rest of my life.

I wanted to write this book. Probably best that Jonathan beat me to it; he's done an excellent job.

Jonathan Fields has created a 'how to' book that goes far beyond the borders of explaining a plan for self-improvement. CAREER RENEGADE: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love is a timely transfusion for many people caught in the current economic stagnation or those who face the enforced retirement package. In a smart, very readable book Fields gets real about infusing a sense of well being and confidence in every reader who takes the time to pick up this friendly manual.

Somewhere along the way each of us was told that our lives could/should be divided between career and hobby, that making a living was key in allowing us to find space to live out the dreams in little sheltered moments. The work ethic has become the beastie that governs our lives and too often leads to fractured relationships and even physical distress.

Enter Jonathan Fields, a man who at the peak of success in law and fortune fell ill enough to have that wake up call to change. And change he did, embracing all the things he loved doing, finding (surprisingly enough!) that he could (and did) make a fine living from following his dreams. This book is about taking the risk of stepping out of the corporate cubicle or its equivalent and jumping into the middle of a fountain of youth via discovering what it is we really love and committing ourselves to pursue that which makes us happy to the point that it is the source of our income.

Yes, there are well-devised steps outlined in this book: it is after all a guide to taking control of life. But it is the manner in which Fields writes and offers examples and suggestions in such a user-friendly way that makes this book so valuable. It challenges the reader to follow dreams and it backs up that challenge with some excellent resource data to assist the willing to fulfill their desire. This is a happy book and could not come at a better time! Grady Harp, May 09

Are you Stuck? Confused about what's next in your job, your career, your life?

If you answered yes to any of the preceding questions, now is your time and this is your guide! Grab your boots, your coat, and a copy of Career Renegade and hold on, because you are about to go on an amazing journey. As your guide, Jonathan Fields comes alongside not only as your guide, but as a mentor! Jonathan has walked the walk, and now does the talk!

As an HR consulting firm, when companies displace, terminate, and downsize their employees; they rely on our firm to coach their employees around what is next for there careers. We now have a new textbook! The two questions that we will be emphasizing to these employees are found on page 23: a) What activity would you do for free, purely out of a sense of passion? b) Imagine you woke up this morning to a phone call saying you had just won the state lottery. It was all yours, but there was a condition: you had to continue to work for the rest of your life and you could use the money to live on, but not fund any professional enddeavor. Now what would you do?

Stop reading and order your guide and Go YOUR distance!!