Rating: 
Summary: Could Be Much Better
Review: I had reservations buying this book based on the reviews I read on Amazon. I decided to give it a try anyway. I am only on page 19 and I am already sick of the author's analysis of his interviewees' journeys. The author would have benefitted from reading Stud Terkel's book Working. Just let the people tell their own story without an unqualifed analysis or counseling session! Their own simple words would have been much more beneficial. Please spare me the ego!!!
Rating: 
Summary: A Big Disappointment
Review: When I saw this book at the library, I thought "THIS is it". I had been wondering why I couldn't seem to find my bliss. I thought reading about the journey of other's would give me insight. Suffice it to say that this book is more about Po than it is finding out what to do with your life. I was a few chapters into it, and wondered what the doctor that left medicine was going to do...or the lady with kidney trouble. When it wasn't answered in the next few chapters, I felt led on. These people were just as confused as anyone on the street. This book is NOT a guide to show you HOW to find your life purpose or follow your bliss. You'd be better off reading "Sacred Contracts" by Caroline Myss or some other book. Fortunately, all my years of risking and trying paid off not long after I put this book back on the shelf. I found my bliss, and am fulfilled and enjoying the creative process in my work/vocation. This book will not give you answers, will not give you hope, and will not give you any pointers on finding your heart's path.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, excellent book.
Review: As someone who has spent a number of years dealing with the issue of "what should I do with my life?" and now feel I am on track, I picked up this book to find out what other people dealing with the same issue have been figuring out (or not figuring out). I really appreciate the author's compassion and genuine care for the people he is writing about, and I am strongly reminded of the importance of listening. Mr. Bronson listened to his subjects quite profoundly and with purpose, and went out of his way to meet them where they are at in their lives. That in itself is remarkable, but I was also really moved by how well he explained the stories without judging or criticizing the people. When I finished the book I was left with a deep sense that people are smart when given half the chance, that it's important to remember that everyone is at a different place in their lives in terms of figuring out what's important to them, and (most importantly) that that's OK. Even though these are individual stories detailing individual lives, we're all in this together. If we take the time to seriously answer the question posed by this book, for ourselves, the world would be a really different place.
Rating:
Summary: Useless Book With No Answers
Review: If the title of this book interests you, it's probably because you're confused about your life and where you fit in. It is seemingly a "self-help" book, or at least that's what the title implies. While the writing is okay, the author and the stories fail horribly in providing what is most important -- the ANSWER TO THE TITLE QUESTION - What Should I Do With My Life? I still don't know what to do with my life and, although I laughed a few times and connected with some of the stories, this was a useless read. It's all well and good to present stories about people who wandered for years and couldn't find their calling, but the book doesn't give any depth or helpful advice. If you're confused already this book won't help clear anything up -- skip it and put the money towards a job counseling session instead.
Rating:
Summary: A great read with a great message
Review: Through real people, Bronson shows that it's okay to make changes, big or small. And reading about someone's personal experiences is in my opinion the best way to convey a message, and Bronson handles this masterfully. Another book that conveys a different by equally powerful message through the use of anecdotes is, I Wish I Never Told My Father I Didn't Like Cheesecake, by Simon Waters.
Rating:
Summary: Wrong Question???
Review: I didn't begin reading this book to find answers. So I'm not disappointed that there are none. But what has surprised me is how guilty I now feel about even asking the question: "What should I do with my life?" I haven't read all the stories yet (maybe 1/3). While interesting, most of these people come off as spoiled and self-indulgent. I blame the author for that, as everything is filtered through his lens. I imagine many of these interviewees are cringing at their caricatured selves. I'm most bothered by how everyone seems to make decisions in a vacuum. Where are the stories about couples who each are trying to find their paths without their relationships disintegrating? What about being concerned for how your choices affect your partner, children, parents, friends, etc. I'm not suggesting that people should only worry about others, just that those considerations are usually part of the equation. We all have to struggle with the dichotomy of pleasing others vs. pleasing ourselves, while we define what 'pleasing ourselves' really means. And your life is more than just your career. I was hoping these themes would be addressed. I was interested to hear how other people grappled not just with the "what should I do" question, but with questions like "is it worth it?', "how should I do it?", and 'can I find a compromise I can live with?' I'd like to see people's creative and fresh approaches to balancing the mix. Instead, what I garnered from this book so far is that unless you've been able to sock away a bunch of cash from your ridiculously high paying job/book royalties, or, you have absolutely no one depending on you for anything, then "What should I do?" is not a question you have any business trying to answer! The subjects hardly seem like real people weighing tough choices. They've been romanticized to fit a very American and millennium notion of self-determination. It's Horatio Alger for the new economy, sans the bootstraps. And it's not reality for the majority of us (even if I sometimes wish it could be). I guess a part of me has always felt it was a "privilege" to be unfulfilled in your profession. Not everyone gets to worry about such things. Yet, is it wrong to want your work to have meaning? I don't want to dismiss putting time and energy into this type of self-reflection. Obviously, it resonates with me; but so far, this book has made the quest seem frivolous. I'm not sure I can finish it. I think I'd rather spend my time contemplating "How should I balance my life?' I'd definitely buy a book that tried to create an honest dialog about that question.
Rating:
Summary: It Could've Been A Contender
Review: Po Bronson's What Should I Do with My Life seemed like a promising book from reading the NY Times summary as well as the book jacket. Unfortunately after reading through 370 pages of various hodge podge stories, my impression is one of dissappointment. Po Bronson's basic idea is a good one. However, I would definitely have preffered if Mr. Bronson gave us 20-25 focused stories providing significant detail rather than 50+ stories which leave many questions unanswered. The initial story about one man's spiritual quest involving the Dali Lama has me wondering, how was this person contacted by the Dali Lama? Some more background on the Dali Lama's spiritual missions would help as not everyone is so familiar with this religious figure. Also, what ever happened to Jessica who left the medical profession after she was unfulfilled? The kidney failure patient chapter also leaves the reader confused. Claude's career change from a marine biologist is interesting but way too brief. Why didn't our author provide a little background here instead of writing a one page chapter? A few stories are good. Tim's lawyer career from rural Kentucky to California to Atlanta is written pretty well. The chemistry professor who became a lawyer captivated my attention as well. Noah's quest to be a golf instructor is also interesting as is Mark's financial industry adventures. However, many of the stories leave too many questions unanswered. Not abysmal but certainly not good either.
Rating: 
Summary: Heartwarming and inspiring
Review: Po Bronson has fearlessly turned toward one of the most baffling and discouraging problems American people face today: job dissatisfaction. I don't mean the job dissatisfaction experienced by people who turn patties at a fast food restaurant, or who hang up the clothes at Wal-Mart, or who trim the hedges in gated communities. These are simply people trying to gain a foothold on the sometimes slippery American dream, and while they may gripe from time to time in their colorful foreign tongues its pretty likely they haven't lost sight of exactly how lucky they are to be here in the first place. What Po Bronson means is the job dissatisfaction of what I'll call "real" people, people who actually earn plenty of money, had the gumption to make it through four years of college, who own their own homes and separate their trash for the recyclers, who watch public TV and sometimes even turn out to vote in local elections. That kind of person is very prone to job dissatisfaction. And what Bronson does is say, "Hey, I understand. I was some kind of honcho or other once upon a time and I said, 'I really want to write best-selling novels.' So I did." And I can really appreciate Bronson's "creative affirmative visualization" method. What it entails is for you to in a creative way visualize something affirmative about your hopes, dreams, or ambitions. If you would like to design dresses for miniature dolls--think about it as vividly as possible. If your wish is to open a restaurant that serves cuisines of Eastern Europe--there is something to be said for picturing yourself as you move smoothly from table to table, greeting the high-powered guests who drop in for a plate of goulash or whatever. Bronson talks to a group of disgruntled executives who had realized a few hundred thousand worthless stock options later that their real dreams lay in the area of being pastry chefs or special education teachers in beleaguered public school districts. One executive even became a "big brother" to a young person of color and found that to be a very rewarding and gratifying experience. And then there was the story of the young lady who left a job as a Assembly Marketing Materials Handling Director to assemble paper airplanes. Her Paper Airport, a store in beautiful Los Gatos, California, was even written up in the local paper! So, you may sacrifice some money by following your dream but there's a even chance you'll get famous. If you see Po Bronson's car heading down your street, wait around--maybe he wants to interview you! This book is highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: It's somewhat biased, but it helped
Review: The one thing I disliked about this book is that it seemed as though the majority of interviews focused on people with somewhat priviledged backgrounds. I personally did not come from a privileged background, went to two colleges to finally end up with a Bachelor's in business (for safety) not knowing what I really wanted to do with it. I never made a ton of money, (really only enough to get by with a tolerable lifestyle that makes me yearn for more). However, I am at a crossroads myself. I am in my mid thirties, single, and without a job. I am taking this crossroads seriously as Mr. Bronson suggests. I am going to get another job to pay the bills and give myself time to figure out what really matters instead of HOPING that this position or that position is going to make me happy. I found myself highlighting several lines in this book. I will probably read it twice.
Rating:
Summary: AYURVEDA is another Path to Quality of Life!!!
Review: Bronson's book is great. It gave me the inspiration and encouragement I needed at this time in my life. While I read it, I came across the new book by the Yale medical doctor, Frank John Ninivaggi, M.D., called AN ELEMENTARY TEXTBOOK OF AYURVEDA. This made a BIG difference in my mental outlook. It also showed me the history of medicine in the world, and how it is now at our fingettips to use---thousands of years of experience in producing success. I recommend both books.
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