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So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love Audiobook
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(3.03) - 535 listener ratings
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In an unorthodox approach, Georgetown University professor Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice, and sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how people end up loving their careers. Not only are pre-existing passions rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work, but a focus on passion over skill can be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping. Spending time with organic farmers, venture capitalists, screenwriters, freelance computer programmers, and others who admitted to deriving great satisfaction from their work, Newport uncovers the strategies they used and the pitfalls they avoided in developing their compelling careers. Cal reveals that matching your job to a pre-existing passion does not matter. Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, what you do for a living is much less important than how you do it. With a title taken from the comedian Steve Martin, who once said his advice for aspiring entertainers was to "be so good they can't ignore you," Cal Newport's clearly written manifesto is mandatory reading for anyone fretting about what to do with their life, or frustrated by their current job situation and eager to find a fresh new way to take control of their livelihood. He provides an evidence-based blueprint for creating work you love, and will change the way you think about careers, happiness, and the crafting of a remarkable life.
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"I really enjoyed this book: a refreshing, no-nonsense thesis backed by a compelling argument and interesting real-life examples. The author also offers a practical guide for getting satisfaction out of one's chosen work. I realized I had been following a similar path in my own career, and have taken steps to keep on investing in my own "career capital" by cultivating a more focused practice. Well done."
— Victoria (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Do what you love and the money will follow’ sounds like great advice—until it’s time to get a job and disillusionment quickly sets in. Cal Newport ably demonstrates how the quest for ‘passion’ can corrode job satisfaction. If all he accomplished with this book was to turn conventional wisdom on its head, that would be interesting enough. But he goes further—offering advice and examples that will help you bypass the disillusionment and get right to work building skills that matter.”
— Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
“Stop worrying about what you feel like doing (and what the world owes you) and instead, start creating something meaningful and then give it to the world. Cal really delivers with this one.”
— Seth Godin, New York Times bestselling author -
“Lively and engaging…[with] real-life examples of individuals…This refreshing view encourages readers to make reasonable choices, buckle down and put in the time, and through trial and error hone their ‘career capital.’ Written in an optimistic and accessible tone, with clear logic and no-nonsense advice, this work is useful reading for anyone new to the job market and striving to find a path or for those who have been struggling to find meaning in their current careers.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“This book changed my mind. It has moved me from ‘find your passion, so that you can be useful’ to ‘be useful so that you can find your passion.’ That is a big flip, but it’s more honest, and that is why I am giving each of my three young adult children a copy of this unorthodox guide.”
— Kevin Kelly, senior maverick, Wired magazine
So Good They Can't Ignore You Listener Reviews
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" Listened to through Audible. Walks through why following your passion might not be the best advise. Challenges you to hone your skills to become an expert. And if you are an expert, don't you love what you do. "
— Jessica, 2/16/2014 -
" Basic career advice. Good for a *very* general set of rules to lead to success in reaching your goals and to set a path on how to actually achieve them. Not a big deal, and a person could get everything they need out of this book by simply reading the summaries at the end of each section of three to four chapters. Newport has a lot of interesting people he has interviewed, and their viewpoints would be good for a more relaxing read. "
— Ctrain79, 1/26/2014 -
" 5-star advice with 3-star presentation. "
— Laura, 1/19/2014 -
" The gist of his book is public and neatly summarised by that New Yorker (I think?) article. Not worth RRP, decidedly unacademic, very fluffy - for instance - lays out a framework for *one* type of success, tries to assure the reader that doing something for long enough leads to loving it... I am not convinced and found his blog more useful than this book. "
— Masafuera, 12/30/2013 -
" This should be required reading for high schoolers, graduates, and people who are worried to death about their career choices. "
— Sonya, 12/15/2013 -
" The largest problem in this book was that it seemed as though the examples Dr. Newport used were all very similar in situations to himself. The content and arguments otherwise were very good. "
— Mikedariano, 10/5/2013 -
" a good exploration of what makes a successful career, dispelling the myth of "follow your passion" "
— Sari, 9/1/2013 -
" Not necessarily empirically supported or masterfully written, but the ideas are good and very effectively discount the conventional wisdom to "follow your passions" into your career. Then goes the step further to what you should do instead. Very practical and applicable. Recommend it! "
— Janet, 8/28/2013 -
" I wish I had read this in high school. This should be mandatory reading in high schools. I don't normally pick up career advice books but this one was one I couldn't ignore, since it threw the advice I heard all my life, "follow your passion" out the window. "
— Thomas, 8/8/2013 -
" Great themes presented in this book. The repetition of the same summary points gets old after the first few chapters, though. "
— Travis, 6/30/2013 -
" Pretty good. A lot of counter-intuitive advice here, and stuff I want to put into practice. The last chapter, about marketing was a bit of a waste. I also felt like I had a bunch of questions, but maybe he answers them in his blog or he will in a 2nd edition with a Q&A or summat? "
— Rory, 3/24/2013 -
" Great book. Really helps counterbalance the Lifestyle Entrepreneur movement (Timothy Ferris / The 4-Hour Work Week). "
— Alan, 2/27/2013 -
" Newport sets out a persuasive case against the 'passion hypothesis'. "
— Vikneswaran, 2/24/2013 -
" Typical Cal writing - super logic based, but it's more than just a gimmicky starting point. Interesting examples and motivational. "
— Drew, 11/10/2012 -
" Most of what I read I gleaned off the website, though he goes more into depth here. I do love Cal Newport and his advice; it's shaped a lot of my personal philosophy and how I approach life and school and success. "
— Claire, 10/19/2012 -
" Very good book. Highly recommended, especially for young people. If you're not interested in reading the whole thing, just read the conclusion to each chapter (about 8 pages) and you'll get the idea of the whole book. "
— Ben, 9/28/2012 -
" I enjoy Cal Newport's Study Hacks blog. A lot of this is revised from that blog, and definitely feels like a mathematician wrote it. Lots of rules and rehashing of those rules. I think it's worth a read if you think you have to love what you do all the time. Cause that's impossible and takes work. "
— Margaret, 9/25/2012
About Cal Newport
Cal Newport, PhD, is a writer and an assistant professor of computer science at Georgetown University. He also runs the popular website Study Hacks: Decoding Patterns of Success.
About Dave Mallow
Dave Mallow has worked extensively in animation, video games, and audiobook narration. Among his animation credits are the voice of Baboo in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; Angemon, Gekkomon, and Uppamon in Digimon: Digital Monsters; and Akuma in Street Fighter.