Customer Reviews

Dig This Gig

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I liked this book because I am doing this myself. I am trying to create my own gig. Let me put it this way: you can try to serve one boss who carefully directs you, or you can try to serve multiple bosses (clients) who may have varying goals for your services.

Unlike most of those featured in the book, I am older, trying to start my own business for the first time at age 50. It would be nice to be twentysomething, but could I afford to sacrifice the knowledge that I have gained?

I think not. The book takes an approach of reviewing four young people each in seven areas of employment, followed by an elder statesman who is an exemplar in that area.

The seven areas are:

Healthcare

Entertainment

Doing Good (Nonprofit, Teacher)

Green (Environmental)

News

Government

Unemployed

The book is well-written, and will provide inspiration to those looking to carve out a new niche in the current economy.

Quibbles

I must admit skepticism that a large number of people can "Dig this Gig." Most of the needs of mankind are similar, and unless you find a special point of unmet need, unusual gigs are hard to find. I view much of what is said here as trying to accomplish something difficult. Most people would be better off trying to do something conventional. After all, that is why it is conventional.

Who would benefit from this book:

If you have a friend out of work but who is energetic, this book could be valuable. Or someone competent and employed, but frustrated... this book could be valuable. But anyone who is not motivated to work hard -- sorry, this book will be of no help.

The book has good profiles of people in their twenty-somethings. I learned a lot about what careers look like, but it wasn't very useful in terms of how to direct my own destiny. How can I go about finding mentors and making things happen? Many of the people profiled fell accidentally into their jobs, but still the author emphasizes the importance of directing one's own life. For me, that contradiction was not adequately resolved.

Dig This Gig provides deep anthropological insights into how Generation Y thinks about career development. It is valuable not only for introspectively looking at your professional life, but also for understanding how to hire and motivate twenty-somethings.

In addition to the deeply useful Gen Y profiles, the book offers sage wisdom from seasoned mentors with diverse skills and backgrounds.

Finally, the book is a fast, compelling, and engaging read. In contrast to Studs Terkel's loosely structured interview transcripts, Ms. Dodd applies a consistent biographical style interspersed with useful quotations that develop character. Stated more directly, Ms. Dodd captures her generation as well as Terkel did his but she does so with much stronger narrative.