The Anti 9-to-5 Guide and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
62 used & new from $2.14
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading The Anti 9-to-5 Guide on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube (Paperback)

~ (Author) "When I decided to flee the cube in my mid-twenties, I knew I wanted to do something related to writing, but I had no idea..." (more)
Key Phrases: temp gig, volunteer gig, flex work, New York, Must-See Resources, San Francisco (more...)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
List Price: $14.95
Price: $10.17 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $4.78 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Thursday, December 3? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Ordering for Christmas? To ensure delivery by December 24, choose Standard Shipping at checkout. Read more about holiday shipping.

33 new from $2.14 29 used from $2.15

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, December 28, 2006 $9.99 -- --
  Paperback, December 27, 2006 $10.17 $2.14 $2.15

Frequently Bought Together

The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube + My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire + The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business
Price For All Three: $31.87

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire

My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire

by Michelle Goodman
4.5 out of 5 stars (25)  $10.85
The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business

The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business

by Emira Mears
4.8 out of 5 stars (17)  $10.85
Birthing the Elephant: The Woman's Go-For-It! Guide to Overcoming the Big Challenges of Launching a Business

Birthing the Elephant: The Woman's Go-For-It! Guide to Overcoming the Big Challenges of Launching a Business

by Karin Abarbanel
5.0 out of 5 stars (48)  $10.85
Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business

Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business

by Meg Mateo Ilasco
4.4 out of 5 stars (22)  $11.53
Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs

Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs

by Kristen Fischer
4.6 out of 5 stars (7)  $15.25
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Snappy and practical, this guide to quitting your job at the "e-mail-saturated, meeting-happy cube farm" will prove indispensable to any young professional itching to strike out on her own. Goodman, a successful freelance writer, aims her book at women between 25 and 35, but young men will likely find her advice (always send a thank you note after an informational interview; play it cool if you snort coffee out your nose) just as relevant. From "sussing out the gigs" to guidance on taxes and health insurance to battling "the inertia that binds one's derriere to the sofa like a tongue to a frozen flagpole," Goodman covers all the aspects of going solo. A "Show Me the Money" section at the end of each chapter gives readers money-saving tips (eat all the food in your fridge before it "liquefies or grows spores"), and checklists covering steps readers must take before becoming self-employed. Goodman's advice is applicable to a broad range of careers, though the non-profit and international travel chapters are useful primarily for pointing to other, more in-depth sources. Goodman's tone is realistic-taking into account the obstacles facing a generation burdened early by debt-but she retains a sense of humor, making this information-dense guide an encouraging, buoyant lifesaver.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist

In a practical guide for young women who are ready to abandon their cubicles and carve out their own dreams, Goodman offers tools and tips for joining the DIY career club. Echoing many career-advice books, Goodman focuses on defining what your passion is and then mapping out a series of transition plans to get from cubicle to dream job. The book is most appropriate for women early in their careers who have not invested much time or energy on a serious career path. Her recommendations for freelancing, temping, part-time work, and lots of career exploration speak to a woman who has not yet found her calling. How-to sections on networking, deciding about additional schooling, resume preparation, and information interviewing are most appropriate for the younger worker still figuring out her career path. Gail Whitcomb
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 220 pages
  • Publisher: Seal Press (December 28, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1580051863
  • ISBN-13: 978-1580051866
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,563 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #15 in  Books > Reference > Encyclopedias > Business
    #19 in  Books > Business & Investing > Personal Finance > Money Management for Women
    #34 in  Books > Business & Investing > Women & Business

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Michelle Goodman
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Michelle Goodman Page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
When I decided to flee the cube in my mid-twenties, I knew I wanted to do something related to writing, but I had no idea what. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
temp gig, volunteer gig, flex work, side gig, day gig, volunteer vacation, cosmetology school
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Must-See Resources, San Francisco, Colleen Kinder, Kirsten Johnson, Lisa Herb, Nobel Prize, Peace Corps, Reality Check Plan, The Motherhood Manifesto, Timesuck Target Practice, Anya Kamenetz, Arts Corps, Melissa Wadsworth, Mistress Blue, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, Traci Macnamara, Adventure Divas, Alexandra Robbins, America's Small Business, Anne Lamott, Carolyn Anderson, Checklist Start, City Hall, Cynthia Shapiro
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 20 books:
See all 20 books this book cites

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube
48% buy the item featured on this page:
The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube 4.7 out of 5 stars (17)
$10.17
My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire
24% buy
My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire 4.5 out of 5 stars (25)
$10.85
The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business
13% buy
The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business 4.8 out of 5 stars (17)
$10.85
Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business
8% buy
Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business 4.4 out of 5 stars (22)
$11.53
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(7)
(7)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
Agree with these tags?
See all 38 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Practical and packed with personality, February 18, 2007
By Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Goodman has created a helpful guide, extremely well-written with frankness and humor. She takes readers through the steps of feeling frustrated with life in a cube to considering alternative escape routes. Of course her own story will inspire readers, as she herself went from cube to freelance status, while managing to live comfortably and even make mortgage payments.

The best part of the book is the section on living the freelance life. She gives down-to-earth advice on organizing the ridiculous amount of paperwork that goes with the freelance life. (I got some good ideas I can use right awway!)

I also liked the section on interviewing for information. She's listed steps from dazzle (write a nice simple request) to prepare to saying thanks. I couldn't agree more.

Additionally, Goodman has some excellent resources in the back of the book. Any career-changer would benefit from readings the books she recommends.

This book will be most helpful to thirty-somethings - those who have worked for five to ten years and are now asking, "How can I express my creativity in the world?" The Anti Guide makes a great companion to a book that's similarly targeted, This Time I Dance, by Tama Kieves. Kieves focused more on the emotional and psychological elements,while Goodman deals with practical implementation.

My own career clients tend to be 45-60. While they'd benefit from some elements of this book, I find that senior executives and experiened professionals need to choose different networking approaches.

I have just three quibbles about the book's content.

First, career consultants often encourage clients to shadow someone who's in a career they're considering. I would rather encourage my own clients to talk to half a dozen or more people in a field to get a broader perspective. I wouldn't give up on a field based on a single shadowing day and I'd investigate further if a day appeared to be a "wow."

Second, Goodman recommends creating a website if you're a writer - and I agree completely. But you need to create a money-making website, which calls for copy as well as design. It's not reasonable to expect a whole treatise on the subject but I'd have liked to see some links to sources that can help.

Finally, I agree with Goodman that readers should be cautious before hiring a career coach or consultant. Again, I believe this advice makes moreo sense for the younger reader.

Goodman encourages readers to talk to HR departments and experts in fields of interest. My own experience is that getting through to an information source requires a referral and HR folks are in the business of recruiting and screening.

These days, you should expect to pay for mentors, especially if you're going off on your own. You might take a continuing ed class at the low end or hire a consultant at the high end, but you pay. I agree with the advice to buy an hour at a time and avoid long, expensive commitmentes. But thes packages work for some clients.

In summary, Goodman's book makes an excellent contribution to the field. And the writing is so good, it's a fun read for anyone.


Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Smart, Sassy, and Soulful, July 27, 2007
By Olivia Giovetti (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The biggest compliment I can give Michelle Goodman's The Anti 9-to-5 Guide is that it gave me a much needed kick in the a-- to get my right brain in gear and devote more time to what I'd like to make my full-time career. The other biggest compliment I can give her is that she doesn't tailor the advice to one set cubicle ex-pat camp.

Using an arsenal of examples (everyone from a professional dominatrix to web designers to non-profit divas), Goodman crafts a book where each chapter and piece of advice can apply universally to those of us who want to work in a "non-traditional" work environment. That Goodman herself is a cubicle expat but not above the occasional office gig to supplement her income, as she makes clear, is also incredibly reassuring and helpful. I've read enough make-it-happen books about doing what you want to do, but my biggest complaint with what I've read before TANtFG is that there wasn't the frank viewpoint that, in the interest of supporting your family, paying rent, or financing a new project may require a Money Job on occasion. I appreciate the realism in Goodman's advice as much as I appreciate the motivation with which it goes hand-in-hand.

Regardless of what stage in the game you're at (working for the man or running your maple syrup conglomerate with glee form home), this is a must for your bookshelf. The amount of usable advice in the 200+ pages will leave this book paying for itself.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, to kicking the 9 to 5 habit!, August 8, 2007
I found this book at just the right time. I was beginning to give up on my dream of leaving my job, and doing something that I really love. People change. (How can we expect to stay in the same job we chose in our early 20's?) I began reading the book and doing the suggested exercises. I have to say that I had more in common with the way the author wrote, than other "follow your dream" books. Right when I would begin to doubt my plan, the author, Michelle Goodman had an answer! Thank you for a great book, with great topics! If you are aching to live a purposeful life and your current job is not part of that purpose, check out this book. Find out how you can begin living your dream today!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for some, not me though
This book seems like it would be ideal for a young woman who still feels stuck pre-career, almost pre- adult life. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mollificent

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely inspiring, genuinely helpful & useful
When I think of books on being your own boss and running a business, I imagine stuffy old text with boring design and content that wouldn't relate to me either on a generational... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Amanda Anne Robbins

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, inspiring advice
This guide is a great way to think through all the ramifications of "living outside the cubical" BEFORE you commit to that lifestyle. Read more
Published 19 months ago by A. K. Brinkmann

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Advice, Fast Read
In making the transition from a full-time job to starting my own gig, I found this book very helpful. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Angela Ferraro Fanning

5.0 out of 5 stars Motivational Stuff
This book contained a lot of advice that I already knew, and some that I didn't know or think about in the past. Read more
Published on October 31, 2007 by D. Cameron

4.0 out of 5 stars So you don't like your cube at work? Maybe it's time to move into a real office or start your own business?

This book was kind of fun to read. I liked the author's frankness and humor. But I wasn't particularly impressed with how the title of the book was matched to its content... Read more
Published on August 30, 2007 by Jeff Lippincott

5.0 out of 5 stars Liberating & Inspiring!!
If you've ever longed for the wide open spaces of a self-directed career, this gem of a book is for you. Read more
Published on August 19, 2007 by M. Thakor

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for women who want money without handcuffs
This book is great for the woman who wants to figure out how to earn a living without becoming a slave. The book is an easy read and is well organized. Read more
Published on July 24, 2007 by Elaine Vigneault

5.0 out of 5 stars You do not have to hate your job.
I have to thank the author for writing such an amazing book. I read it a few months ago, and it made me much more confident about going for the career I want. Read more
Published on June 26, 2007 by Lyric Saison

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Monday Read!
After finding out about this book, I rushed right out and bought it. I can't tell you how much the first few chapters sum up EXACTLY how I feel. Read more
Published on May 28, 2007 by carrieg

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:




















i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.