Rating: 
Summary: Don't Miss the Point
Review: I usually read customer reviews before buying a book on Amazon. Today, I thought I would look at the reviews for a book I have already read to see if I agreed with the comments. I was so appalled by the most recent 20 reviews of this book that I felt compelled to write my first review. (I'm also going to be more than a little suspicious of customer reviews in the future!)The author of this book tells you upfront (and over and over) that he is not going to answer the question in the title. He is not going to help you answer the question for yourself. You can't read this book expecting that result. Instead, he describes the career choices of folks that he has interviewed. Some of the people make changes that work, some make changes that don't work, and some don't make changes at all. He isn't writing a novel; he doesn't describe every detail and he does not follow every story through to conclusion. He writes enough about a subject's career path to illustrate the point of the chapter. Previous reviewers object that many of the subjects interviewed were wealthy or privileged. To me, this only shows they have missed the point. The book is extremely well structured. The themes of each story are so universal, anyone should be able to relate. For example, in one chapter, a woman intellectualizes her job change to the smallest detail, yet the point is that she can't know every variable until she actually tries the job. This idea should resonate with a reader regardless of whether the person interviewed was running a copymachine at Kinko's and decided working for a dry cleaner would be a better fit or the person was running a Fortune 500 company and decided owning a vineyard would make her happier. I don't think the particular details of the job choices should matter, unless the depth of your analysis is simply, "Well, this doesn't apply to me, because she had a nest egg saved up for a vineyard and I don't!" Similarly, the author is not advocating that you should do whatever makes you feel good without taking into any account your responsibilities and relationships, as suggested by another reviewer. I don't think the author would agree with that statement at all. The author does a terrific job of analyzing the stories of several workers and using them to illustrate recurring concerns and challenges we encounter as we contemplate our career paths. I appreciated the author's honesty and candor. I read the book slowly, because I wanted to consider each chapter, but it was so well-written and easy to read, I could have read it in one sitting. I have read a LOT of self-help career books, none of them ultimately useful for anything more than cheerleading to "follow your dream" (which you had to already know somewhere deep down inside). This book does not try to be one of those. Still, it helped me to identify and consider a lot of the emotional issues that are wrapped up with finding a new career or being happy with the one I have.
Rating: 
Summary: stories are great, po bronson's voice is beyond annoying
Review: this book was a good idea. hence the 1 star.
i really enjoyed reading all of the stories, but i could not stand po bronson's annoying commentary. i wanted him to shut up! i found myself skimming through his story because i couldn't stand to hear his voice! i wanted to hear the stories on their own and come to my own conclusion without these insipid comments here and there.
this book would have been great if po bronson was merely the typist. it's obvious that he wasn't qualified to give these people any advice. and some of these people were really depressed and needed therapy or a kind word of wisdom that po failed to ever cough up. if anything i feel sorry for these people when they tried to get any advice from po.
i applaud all of the people interviewed for sharing their stories. if po bronson didn't have his annoying voice throughout the entire book, i would have made room on my shelf and actually kept it. instead i found myself returning it ASAP.
Rating: 
Summary: Iisightful
Review: As the author says in the book, if you are looking for ANSWERS to the quesiton on the title, you will not find them in this book. And, although I am doing some soul seraching myself, I was not disappointed. I found the articles to be very interesting, with a fairly wide spectrum of situations, and there were some bits here and there which rang true to me. I only wish that there had been a few stories of women in their 40's (like myself) who have overcome some of the unique obstacles we face. Maybe in the sequel? In the meantime I will trust the process and keep my eyes and ears open!
Rating:
Summary: What a disappointment!
Review: Bronson obviously wasn't interested in anyone who didn't graduate from college, I guess they don't ask these sorts of questions and who cares what they do with their lives, anyway. Apparently how much your life questions matter is directly proportionate with your education, how prestigious your college was, and your annual income. Oh yes, and you best be between 25 and 40. Those with a Wall Street background and/or politics are preferred. This struck me as interesting as those two groups more than any other can be held responsible for the mess we are all in and they, more than any one else, came out of it smelling like a rose. Boy, I sure want to emulate them! The author's superior attitude came through in his writing and I found his elitism insulting.
Rating:
Summary: A penny for your thoughts... or more if you buy Po's book
Review: A penny for your thoughts... or more if you buy Po's book. But seriously (I don't know Po Bronson), but if you're considering the title, don't you think it's a worthwhile money risk. Suppose Po's comments provide some insight into this profound question? (Yes, this logic is flawed, but you get my point.) Alright Po's book. It's a collection of interviews. Some interviews are great fun to read, some are quite a chore. I jumped around to read the best, then Po earned my time to read his more mundane interviews(which ultimately offered some perspective.) Clearly, this was a risky book for Po Bronson to write. He made a serious effort to tackle a timeless question. We should all be happy his book is not another 12 step list to eternal bliss. If you buy this book and expect a payoff, then yes, you're taking a big risk. But, if you crave some sincere gen-x thought on the title, this is a great place to start.
Rating: 
Summary: it would make a good paper weight
Review: Even though I can't stand to give books and authors bad ratings, this one would make a good paper weight. Check it out at the library or if you have already bought it - follow the above suggestions. I have one question: where are the real people with real answers? There are almost no middle of the road people in it - remember us -- we're the ones who need in depth answers to an age old question. Better yet, what about all of the individuals in their 40s or even 50s who are losing their jobs by the droves - where are they represented? The average person who is trying to decide what to do with their life may not have an opportunity to experience an adventure of making our own life more enjoyable. There are plenty of us who are thinking - where do I go for a job to put food on the table and to pay the bills. Most will think of their families first and not how "they" can be happy. What's up with folks only getting coached on me, me ,me...what about responsibilities to those who should rank first place on this list: kids. They have to fit into life and survive their parent's wishy washy job changing divorce stricken and "poor me" image including their own life style being [messed] up above all else. Selfish is the best keyword that describes many of these books and this one is no exception. While many uppies or wanna be X-gen characters in the book are trying to decide which car to drive today and where to find the best cleaners for their [expensive] suits, many true grit hard working Joe Blows - like you and I - are getting the pink slip and trying to decide if we should sell our home or work two jobs to pay bills and how to tell the kids dad and mom are getting a divorce. Many people are struggling with insurance rates, [chemical substance] costs and how to get a new dress for Anna's graduation day because the promised commission check isn't going to fly. Raising level headed healthy kids is the best way possible to be happy. After they are grown and on their own is the time to think of yourself. Doing what's right for your baby, son and stepdaughter should be the real issues. Perhaps if you have an opportunity to make a career switch to something that will (oh my gosh) make you happier - do it for the benefit of your children first. Will someone who is not on a self absorbed ego go around and interview real people who have normal income or real people who have lost their job that they thought was the real thing in the first place, please. For all of us left with down to earth problems, which in part may consist of possibly changing careers, come up with a tried and true system that an average human being can find practical? The heart of the book would be about someone who wants to be better for his children, spouse and himself as in a family unit. There are too many books out right now that say do what feels good and what makes you happy -- what about your first obligations: family? A few others our family counselor recommended that go a little deeper: How to Find Your Mission in Life by Richard N. Bolles and for family concerns through tough times - or any times - Mommy-CEO, by Jodie Lynn and Helping Children Cope With Divorce, by Edward Teyber.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I was hoping for
Review: This book has a great title that would make anyone want to pick it up. About half of it seems like stories of sincere people who we can identify with. The other half seems contrived and is loaded with people who just set my teeth on edge. I think many people will say "that may be great advice but I don't have $200,000 in the bank to keep me going while I search for the perfect job." If you're looking for some really good advice about changing careers or finding your calling in life, I would recommend "Repacking Your Bags" or "The Power of Purpose" or even the new book "Beans," which inspired me to finally start my own gallery/coffeeshop business here in Omaha, after many years of procrastinating and being afraid.
Rating:
Summary: The Pits and a Cruel Hoax
Review: I actually did want to know what to do with my life. I mean, it wasn't a matter of idle curiosity that I picked up Po Bronson's book and stuck with it as if I were trying to suck the marrow out of its spine. Well, guess what: I just got fired after ten years working as a Market Placement Record Coordinator. This is a challenging field, and experience counts for a lot, but apparently not enough. Now I'm stuck with a mortgage, a car payment, a kid who needs braces, and this crummy hardcover book. It communicated to me about as fluently as if it had suddenly popped up and started speaking on its own--in Ancient Greek. Huh? Bronson suggests that "what you can have if you have a sense of what you are" is unlimited. The sense I have of what I am is that of a person who has wasted ten years. Po, how does this help? He interviews someone he calls Eleanor Metairie, "a highly-placed executive searcher." She decided that she'd take the couple of million she'd socked away after paying for her car, her condo, her vacation home, her pied a terre, and her new face (Eleanor is a woman of "a certain age") and start a "Dream Factory," where fellow wealthy people could come and have a diorama built of their fondest dreams. The "former art student" capitalized this "factory" with her gains in the presumably undreamy world of executive placement and all was well in the land. And how about Jared Bianchi, a designer of surfboards in Venice, California? Jared wanted to "give time and energy to the problems of the poor right here at home." So he started Bianchi's Surf Camp, for inner-city kids. This is somewhat more laudable than building cardboard representations of people's dreams, but the point is Jared was in a position to start a Surf Camp. An enviable position. I thought I'd get some career advice, because, darn it, I really could use some. All I got was a wishbook for the elite. Bronson says early in the book, "Wishing won't make it so. Envy over others' accomplishments won't make them yours. Investments, even successful investments, that grow while you watch passively, on the sidelines, won't fulfill you. You must take charge, put the bit between the teeth of your ambitions and fit the bridle over its steaming nose. You must grip the reins between iron fingers and prepare to hold on, to command, to dominate all that is imaginative, all that is aggressive, all that strives within your soul." Po, I just don't believe it to be the case.
Rating:
Summary: Don't read this unless you're ready to answer the question
Review: Po Bronson drills to the center of the under-explored, and he does it in a real way. You should be prepared to squirm a little as you read it, especially as you are asking the question about yourself. This is not a quick read. I found myself having to put it down often and think about the people in each chapter, focusing on the fact that they are real, not characters. Expect to come away from it with more questions than answers - and that has great value! I found myself cheering for some, broken for others; some challenged me by what they had attempted, and forced me to take a fresh look at my own life and where it was headed. What would you say if you were asked the same question? What do you say when you ask it of yourself, now? If you have already asked and answered the question, fine; skip this book. If you haven't - or if you haven't asked and answered the question for a long time, get a copy. Read it, and as you are reading, get a copy for a friend who is willing to take the risk of being confronted by the question, too. It's important to have at least one other risk-taker in your circle of friends. Life, and it's meaning, especially if it's your life, is worth exploring.
Rating:
Summary: What Should I Do With My Life
Review: I stopped reading after the chapter on "Parasite Entrepreneurism." The author seems proud of operating his own business on his employer's time. For shame. Perhaps this is geared to a younger audience (under 50), but the people whose stories were told up to this chapter seemed rather scatter-brained.
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