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Smart People Should Build Things: How to Restore Our Culture of Achievement, Build a Path for Entrepreneurs, and Create New Jobs in America Hardcover – February 4, 2014
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Yang’s pitch for entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to more structured careers is enticing.” (Publishers Weekly)
“Andrew Yang lays out a solution that is a proven winner for not only the young generation coming of age, but for the nation as a whole.” (Dan Gilbert, chairman and founder of Rock Ventures)
“I have great respect for the foresight Andrew brought to his groundbreaking start-up, Venture for America, and Andrew has become living proof that it’s possible to create a platform that makes it easier than ever for the country’s best and brightest to help others succeed.” (Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn)
“Andrew is one of those rare visionaries who puts dreams into action. This book is a roadmap for young people in designing their careers, a playbook for policy makers for rebuilding our cities, and a path forward to moving entrepreneurship back to the center of the American economy.” (Arianna Huffington, founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post)
“I wish this book and Venture for America had existed when I graduated from college and wanted to make the world a better place but didn’t know where to turn. This book details how we can channel our top graduates into impactful entrepreneurial opportunities while addressing our economy’s biggest problems.” (Dave Gilboa, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker)
“A lot of people in the world are chasing the money, not the passion. Smart People Should Build Things shows them a way out -- and has the potential to change the way we define success in business.” (Tony Hsieh, NY Times bestselling author of "Delivering Happiness" and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc.)
“Enlightening and frequently surprising and moves much of the author’s pro-entrepreneurship slant from conventional wisdom into fact-based guidance for the “young, hungry talent” he hopes will help rebuild the American economy. A galvanizing amalgam of personal history, acquired business wisdom and mentorship.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“Andrew Yang lays out a solution that is a proven winner for not only the young generation coming of age, but for the nation as a whole.” (Dan Gilbert, chairman and founder of Rock Ventures)
“I have great respect for the foresight Andrew brought to his groundbreaking start-up, Venture for America, and Andrew has become living proof that it’s possible to create a platform that makes it easier than ever for the country’s best and brightest to help others succeed.” (Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn)
“Andrew is one of those rare visionaries who puts dreams into action. This book is a roadmap for young people in designing their careers, a playbook for policy makers for rebuilding our cities, and a path forward to moving entrepreneurship back to the center of the American economy.” (Arianna Huffington, founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post)
“I wish this book and Venture for America had existed when I graduated from college and wanted to make the world a better place but didn’t know where to turn. This book details how we can channel our top graduates into impactful entrepreneurial opportunities while addressing our economy’s biggest problems.” (Dave Gilboa, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker)
“A lot of people in the world are chasing the money, not the passion. Smart People Should Build Things shows them a way out -- and has the potential to change the way we define success in business.” (Tony Hsieh, NY Times bestselling author of "Delivering Happiness" and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc.)
“Enlightening and frequently surprising and moves much of the author’s pro-entrepreneurship slant from conventional wisdom into fact-based guidance for the “young, hungry talent” he hopes will help rebuild the American economy. A galvanizing amalgam of personal history, acquired business wisdom and mentorship.” (Kirkus Reviews)
From the Back Cover
We've got a problem—our most talented and educated young people aren't building things. They're not starting or joining innovative companies that are addressing crises in education, energy, or transportation. Meanwhile, in recovering cities such as Detroit, New Orleans, and Baltimore, promising startups and growth companies representing the next generation of job creation are desperate to attract the talent they need to expand and thrive.
Imagine if the same people who are currently heading to Wall Street were instead joining startups and early-stage companies throughout the United States. How long would it take before they positively impacted job creation and economic competitiveness?
Knowing firsthand why the current vision of education and career paths isn't functioning properly, Andrew Yang has set out to fix this problem. As the founder and CEO of Venture for America, he places top college graduates in startups for two years in emerging U.S. cities to generate job growth and train a new generation of entrepreneurs. In Smart People Should Build Things, this self-described "recovering lawyer" and entrepreneur has woven together a compelling narrative of success stories (including his own), offering observations about the flow of talent in the United States, and explaining why current trends are leading to economic distress and cultural decline. He also presents recommendations for both policy makers and job seekers that will make entrepreneurship more realistic and attainable. The country needs teams of committed builders to create value and restore the culture, and Smart People Should Build Things is about how we can get there.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By
April Kontostathis
on April 5, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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In fact, the title really says it all! The book seems to take up a lot of chapters providing the "proof" that talent is going to waste because graduates from top universities want to get paid gobs of money to work for big corporations in New York and Boston. No doubt some of these folks would create a lot of value if they chose entrepreneurial routes, but I have to wonder if someone who falls into that category really has what it takes to do the dirty work that is required when you are an entrepreneur. I'm also pretty darn offended that the book is focused solely on top universities. And by top, I really mean top: Harvard, Yale, etc. What about the millions of smart people who graduate from state schools, liberal arts colleges, etc, who do quite a lot for their communities and for the economy.
I think the real message should be, we should encourage EVERYONE to develop the competencies to become entrepreneurial: problem solving, risk taking, excellent oral and written communication skills, financial common sense, creating, innovating, leading .... Those who choose to use these skills to develop new entities (for profit and non profit) will do a lot of good. Those that use these skills within an existing company will also be doing their part to move the country and economy forward.
The second half of the book is an advertisement for Venture for America, and it sounds like a great organization. Again too focused on recruiting from a very small number of select schools, but that's their perogative. I want to duplicate it on a smaller scale at my college, where I co-direct the entrepreneurship center.
Bottom line, decent book, but don't expect anything earth shattering.
I think the real message should be, we should encourage EVERYONE to develop the competencies to become entrepreneurial: problem solving, risk taking, excellent oral and written communication skills, financial common sense, creating, innovating, leading .... Those who choose to use these skills to develop new entities (for profit and non profit) will do a lot of good. Those that use these skills within an existing company will also be doing their part to move the country and economy forward.
The second half of the book is an advertisement for Venture for America, and it sounds like a great organization. Again too focused on recruiting from a very small number of select schools, but that's their perogative. I want to duplicate it on a smaller scale at my college, where I co-direct the entrepreneurship center.
Bottom line, decent book, but don't expect anything earth shattering.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By
Tony Kauffmann
on February 4, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Should be required reading for any entrepreneurship class. Yang lays out the jaw-dropping statistics of how many smart ambitious students are squandering their potential in pursuit of money/prestige/security. As an engineering student it was an incredible reminder to pursue an industry that builds and creates, not just analyzes! Yang builds incredible value for why individuals of all walks of life should invest in America by creating something (anything!) instead of walking the well-trodden paths.
An inspiring read for anyone considering a start-up, and an essential read for anyone considering law/finance/consulting!
An inspiring read for anyone considering a start-up, and an essential read for anyone considering law/finance/consulting!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By
Red
on February 8, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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I'm one of the typical college graduates that Andrew highlights in the book. I'm the type that was wooed by top financial services and management consulting firms my junior and senior years in college and then graduated with an offer in hand to join one of them in New York City. I took the path well traveled, because it was safe and respected by everyone around me.
Had this book been in my hands (and had VFA been around) while in the thick of the job search in college, who knows... maybe I would have started my working life differently.
This should be required reading for all college students everywhere.
Had this book been in my hands (and had VFA been around) while in the thick of the job search in college, who knows... maybe I would have started my working life differently.
This should be required reading for all college students everywhere.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By
Jonathon Youshaei
on February 4, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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I've been hoping that Andrew would write a book ever since I first heard him speak at my school.
Despite his many accomplishments, he stays so humble and down-to-earth - and you can see that in every page of this book. Andrew is tackling a huge problem and offering a real solution without sounding preachy. As founder of Venture of America, he's already done so many amazing things and this book is yet another extension of that.
Despite his many accomplishments, he stays so humble and down-to-earth - and you can see that in every page of this book. Andrew is tackling a huge problem and offering a real solution without sounding preachy. As founder of Venture of America, he's already done so many amazing things and this book is yet another extension of that.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By
Rashaad
on February 4, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Excellent book, excellent message. Andrew is a visionary that you need to listen to. Can you imagine how much more awesome we could be as a society if the smartest kids built real things again instead of CDOs and trading algorithms? Rather than waste their intellectual horsepower on new ways to just build wealth for themselves and their clients, we could solve big problems and make big advances.
This message needs to make it back into our cultural value system before we lose all our societal IQ into self-serving black holes.
This message needs to make it back into our cultural value system before we lose all our societal IQ into self-serving black holes.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By
Joseph R Guy
on February 4, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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I wish I would have read this book when I was beginning to think about my career after college. Kudos to Andrew Yang for telling his story and creating an organization that's building a path for young people to become successful entrepreneurs.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
Lawrence
on February 5, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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This book is a compelling account of one man's struggle to overcome the gilded path that society lays
out for the cognitively gifted and achievement-oriented. Instead, Andrew Yang chooses the path less traveled--
and better yet, documents its ins and outs so that others can traverse it more easily. His description is fun,
easy to read, engaging, and yet also is thoughtful and intelligent in terms of how we can direct our societal resources
to renew America's businesses. This is a must-read for those who want to understand the path of entrepreneurship
or those who wish to support America's rebirth in this area.
out for the cognitively gifted and achievement-oriented. Instead, Andrew Yang chooses the path less traveled--
and better yet, documents its ins and outs so that others can traverse it more easily. His description is fun,
easy to read, engaging, and yet also is thoughtful and intelligent in terms of how we can direct our societal resources
to renew America's businesses. This is a must-read for those who want to understand the path of entrepreneurship
or those who wish to support America's rebirth in this area.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
Nathan K. Rothstein
on May 6, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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For someone coming from Lexington High School- where more than 90% of the class goes to a four year college, I hadn’t met any of the qualifications that allows an 18 year old to get on the pathway to a successful career with a lot of upward mobility. Everything we were supposed to do- study hard, get good grades, get into a top 50 school, and then work in consulting, and then apply to business/law school and then get a great job, was not an option for me. I did not have a choice.
But because of these lack of choices, I had to build my own career on my own terms. And now at 30, when I pick up a book by Andrew Yang— Smart People Should Build Things, I feel like by default, I made the right choice- That maybe those who don’t excel at high school, and don’t get into the top school, have some advantages.
To make his argument, Andrew Yang discusses his own trajectory. It started with a successful high school career that led to being accepted to Brown University, and then he went to law school, and then to a traditional NYC firm. He obviously had to work very hard, but as he discusses, he didn’t have to think much about his choices.
While the traditional path works well for many, others are miserable, and don’t know any alternative. Yang writes: “many apply to law school, grad school or even medical school because of a vague notion of status and progress rather than genuine desire or natural fit.” If they decide to venture from the traditional path, and fail, instead of trying again, they go back to the default. While there is a surplus of the professional class, there’s a huge gap in other sectors that are not being met.Read more ›
But because of these lack of choices, I had to build my own career on my own terms. And now at 30, when I pick up a book by Andrew Yang— Smart People Should Build Things, I feel like by default, I made the right choice- That maybe those who don’t excel at high school, and don’t get into the top school, have some advantages.
To make his argument, Andrew Yang discusses his own trajectory. It started with a successful high school career that led to being accepted to Brown University, and then he went to law school, and then to a traditional NYC firm. He obviously had to work very hard, but as he discusses, he didn’t have to think much about his choices.
While the traditional path works well for many, others are miserable, and don’t know any alternative. Yang writes: “many apply to law school, grad school or even medical school because of a vague notion of status and progress rather than genuine desire or natural fit.” If they decide to venture from the traditional path, and fail, instead of trying again, they go back to the default. While there is a surplus of the professional class, there’s a huge gap in other sectors that are not being met.Read more ›
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