The Art of Non Conformity is an incredible book. Chris wants you to set the rules for your life, make a difference, have fun doing it, and take full responsibility for your life. The review that follows is an honest assessment of what the book is, and what it isn't.
What it is
Chris Guillebeau marches to a different beat and designs his life the way he wants it to be. In the first chapter he tells you his goal in writing the book:
"The mission is to support a full-scale revolution with a simple underlying message: You don't have to live your life the way other people expect you to"
Chris speaks from the heart, and although the story woven into the book is slow at times, it's very interesting. How can a thirty-something be more than half-way to visiting every country in the world?!
I believe in the power of success stories, because then our own definitions for what is possible get redefined instantly (i.e. "If he can do it, why can't I?). This book is a great exercise is thinking outside of the box, or more precisely, thinking exactly the opposite from everything you're supposed to think.
What seems like the biggest regret of his life, paying $32,000 for graduate school, turns out to be a gift. Throughout the book, Chris details how to get a similar education, make more of an impact, and save a ton of cash. The self proclaimed introvert follows a life path that many people dream of, and takes you on a journey with him into his world. He doesn't suggest foregoing grad school for those who must go for their dream career, but if grad school is just a cherry on top of an undergrad career to "pad your resume", there are other ways of being successful.
The Art of Non Conformity is a manifesto of sorts that will allow you to begin to think like a leader. One of the greatest parts of the book is where Chris talks about building a tribe of dedicated followers. Lady Gaga has them, the Harry Potter Series has them, and so does every successful idea in history. He says that 1000 loyal fans will support all of your dreams financially, which I agree with. One thousand dedicated people focused on one cause can do a lot.
There is tremendous power in having so many people completely dedicated to something. But so many of us allow ourselves to be the followers, rather than the leader. And you can be both. Why not be part of a small army somewhere, and lead your own movement at the same time? It's all outlined in this book.
What it isn't
It reminds me a lot of the Four Hour Work Week, but with a different agenda. While Tim gives the reader specific tools and strategies for building the business that will free your time and give you the mobility you need, The AONC is more of a book designed to get you thinking in terms of mobility and freedom, focusing on building your army, giving back to those in need, and making an impact.
To put it simply, someone who thinks in terms of changing the world, as outlined per AONC, will certainly need the tools outlined in a book like 4HWW:
The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.
The two go hand in hand. There may have been one or two mentions of wordpress, but beyond that there's not much tech-talk in here.
The only criticism I have of the book is that the resources for readers new to the web are a bit thin. For those who have been blogging a while, this may be the time to change course, develop your muse through which you will change the world, and get to it. But for novices, it would take at least one or two more books to get to that point. Even a quick and dirty outline of blogging platforms, books to read, people to learn from, and other resources would have been enough. But that's really a small criticism.
This is a literary reset button for all those not currently following their dreams. What this book is trying to get at is that your dreams are possible to achieve. Take hold of the reigns and make a difference.
Highlights from the Book
It's great to see that even a world famous blogger and writer gets scared sometimes. It bridges the gap psychologically between someone who is living an amazing life, and someone who is reading about it at home, when that life seems thousands of miles away.
One of the principles Chris talks about is acknowledging that fear is in front of you, and facing it anyways. In chapter 3, he writes:
"A few things I am currently afraid of:
-I'm only on chapter 3. Will I ever finish writing this book?
-What if it sucks? What if I get bad reviews? (Or worse, what if no one pays any attention?)
-I'm afraid that people will think I am faking it"
What I am trying to get at is that everyone, even the guy writing the book you are reading, runs into mental roadblocks. Suddenly our excuses don't have as much power. Bust through your doubts and lead your followers to victory.
And make no mistake, you will have your own doubts even as you read this book? "But he doesn't have X, or I still have to deal with Y." You get the sense that Chris's biggest goal is leaving a legacy beyond himself. When those sort of dreams are truly important to you, you begin to take the sort of steps that make your life extraordinary, as demonstrated by Chris's impact already.
My favorite chapter is called "Graduate School vs. the Blogosphere." As you can surmise, he outlines how starting a real life business online is more effective for you and your wallet long term. Because once he understood how to "be a good student", he excelled. But that didn't improve his chances of success in the real world. It was only his experience as an entrepreneur, writer, and non-conformist that allowed him the chance to make a real impact.
He even compares the results from his thesis vs. those of his blog:
Feedback from people after working on thesis: " (the words) 'Good Job' from 3 people."
Feedback from writing for Art of Non Conformity: "Thousands of positive comments from all over the world."
Chris is very honest in his writing. The best part about this is that he's right. Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?
As an aside, I actually ran into a similar situation while in school. I can remember being called to write 20 pages on a big environmental issue after researching the issue and coming up with a solution. Out of the 20 pages, I devoted a half page to say that one solution could be to have a dedicated blog, facebook page, and twitter account dedicated to raising awareness for the issue (this was spring 2009). My teacher wrote in red ink, "I don't know what this is supposed to be..."
Takeaways
The Art of Non Conformity is about re-framing your reasons for making a difference. Instead of focusing on "what can I get?", we should focus on "how can I get paid to help as many people as possible and make a difference?" And if you don't have an answer, that's ok. As another reviewer on amazon put it,
"It is a primer that I think anyone who is considering the question "What do I do?" should read."
So how big can you dream? How big of an impact do you want to have in the end? Questions like this lead people towards amazing lives. Some remain unsung heroes, but with today's tools and technologies, everyone has the platform to be un-conventional and lead a life that you design.
So what are you "not conforming" to exactly, once you read this book? Well, a few things.
First, other peoples' expectations. No one is going to have as big a dream as you do for your life. Visiting every country in the world by the time you're 35? To say that Chris is not easily persuaded from achieving his goals would be an understatement.
Second, gatekeepers. These are the people in the way of what you want. Chris puts it bluntly: they tell you what choices you have, rather than you defining them for yourself. The book give great strategies for handling these obstacles that are inevitably in the way of any major goal. Again, many of these people may not believe that it's possible for you to do what you want to do. But keep going.
Lastly, your own expectations. Redefine what's normal. Help a cause 10X bigger than yourself. Build an army. Think big. Be an entrepreneur. Travel. See the world. Meet with the movers and shakers in your niche. Be unconventional.
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Top reviews from other countries
PERMAGOD
great book to use to show people I was right!
Reviewed in Canada on April 18, 2022
Jesús Parrado Alameda
Take action without take prisoners
Reviewed in Spain on November 21, 2013