Free From Corporate America - A Tactical Guide to Success On Your Own Terms [Paperback]

Jon Reed (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2009

Today's workers are free agents who sink or swim on their own. So what are you going to do about it? Get Free from Corporate America! Jon wrote this book for people like himself - those who want to succeed, but on their own terms. The best way to take control of your future is to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to your career. This does not necessarily mean starting your own business. It does mean developing skills and assets that will improve your position. Free from Corporate America puts business ideas to the ultimate test: will they pay the rent? It's not easy to claim a better life while facing the real-world limitations of time and budget. But if you're tired of "get rich quick" happy talk and need a better way forward, Free from Corporate America is your kind of book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: eCruiting Alternatives, Inc (March 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972598855
• ISBN-13: 978-0972598859
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,638,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jon Reed has had an up and down (and up again) entrepreneurial career since the early '90s. He currently runs his own publishing and consulting company. Jon is sick enough to consider writing books a "hobby" - Free from Corporate America. now available on Amazon, is Jon's third book.

His second book, Resumes from Hell, has its own web site which includes sample chapters. Jon's first book, The SAP Consultant Handbook, is a career manual for SAP software professionals. Jon is currently the President of JonERP.com, a web site dedicated to helping SAP professionals and project teams make sense of SAP's technical evolution.

Jon is also a founding member of the Board of Directors of Hidden-Tech, a non-profit organization based in Western Massachusetts that serves as an advocacy and networking group for the growing base of "virtual companies" that use technology to work virtually with clients and colleagues.

Jon has a passion for helping people to develop a more entrepreneurial approach to their careers. He believes that the "corporate contract" has been broken, and that it's time for people to regain economic control of their lives. Free from Corporate America shares some of Jon's favorite tactics and business philosophies. Those who want to delve even deeper into Jon's obsessions (and read a bit of no-b.s. music journalism) are invited to check out jonreed.net, Jon Reed's "essays, rants, and more" web site.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advice I'd give my kids, May 6, 2009

By 

David Sullivan (Portland, ME) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free From Corporate America - A Tactical Guide to Success On Your Own Terms (Paperback)

I read this book. Read it again. And then I read certain parts again. The more I dug into the book, the more wisdom and insight I found. I have seen his other book about terrible resumes, which is side-splitting funny and very helpful at the same time. I don't know what I was expecting exactly from this book, but in the end, it has really made a powerful impression. At first, while recognizing the well written and entertaining style, I thought it was maybe simplistic and a bit critical. I underestimated it. The ideas are provocative and articulated directly, but ring true and challenge me to think about some of the limiting ways I define my work life. The critical aspect, with closer reading and reflection, turned to something positive, soulful, and inspiring. This is not another "get rich quick" book--unless by richness you are measuring your well being and sense of integrity. It is also not a recipe for a quick fix, but a deeper invitation to make the most of your time in forward thinking ways. While not a recipe, it certainly has some very practical and realistic advice about the time commitments I make. At first I wrongly thought this book was another "start your own business rant" but found it something much deeper--about defining a way to live with an entrepreneurial spirit regardless of what cell you inhabit. To that end it would also be a mistake to see this as only a book about business--again the implications are far deeper. For example, in speaking about ownership he says: "Ownership, to me, implies taking full responsibility for your life, claiming the upside of who you can become, and enduring the risk that is required to have a shot at a life beyond the ordinary." That sounds like a message for my children as much as a message for a CEO.

David Sullivan, Ed.M.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advice that is Right on the Mark, May 4, 2009

By 

J. Minton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free From Corporate America - A Tactical Guide to Success On Your Own Terms (Paperback)

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I've read many personal improvement / business books, with my all time favorites being Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't. To give a brief background: I have worked for large corporations in menial and management positions and I have run my own companies from retail to service to software development to online.

I was a bit concerned that I was too 'advanced' to get much out of Mr. Reed's book, since I am already an entrepreneur and I have not worked for someone else - much less a big company - for over a decade. I'm happy to say that I was wrong. Much of his advice was still right on the mark, and there were multiple times that I set down the book to reflect on how his suggestions and challenges applied to my situation.

Another reason that I so strongly recommend this book is because I agree with the early steps that he proposes for getting yourself moving. I recognize many of them from my own experiences and would have greatly valued reading this a decade ago as it would have guided me away from some mistakes that I made.

Finally, it is refreshing to read a book by an author that does not hold him or herself up as a paragon of perfection. Mr. Reed comes across as very down to earth and keen-sighted about what has worked for him and what has been a struggle. The advice all feels more relevant with it being based so clearly in Mr. Reed's actual experiences instead of some sanitized version of them.

Heavily recommended. Enjoy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars freedom is mighty sweet, April 11, 2009

By 

Jim Stewart "Jim" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Free From Corporate America - A Tactical Guide to Success On Your Own Terms (Paperback)

It took me two years to free myself from Corporate America. I'm not sure if the author, Jon Reed, knows or appreciates the power of the advice he gives, but I personally feel a gigantic debt of gratitude for Jon that I'm sure I'll never be able to adequately communicate - much less repay. So Jon, thank you for this book and thank you for the freedom your ideas have given me.


P.S.

If you're still working for "the man" I suggest you read this book and take Mr. Reed's words to heart. If they worked for me, they can work for you, too.