Take Charge of Your Career

January 16, 2009 · Comments

If I told you a lawyer had great career advice, would you believe me? You would if I told you it was Jonathan Fields, lawyer turned serial entrepreneur. His new book, Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love, hit me particularly well because it wasn’t just a wispy, airy “you can do it, sweetheart!” type of book. Instead, Fields dives right in and gives you a path to making it happen.

If you are the kind to think up a new business idea every day (or five a day), buy this book just for Chapter 11: Is the World Ready for You? In this chapter, Fields gives you really practical ways to test the waters for your business ideas. It’s a wonderful example of how this book isn’t a pat on the back book. This book is a business person’s toolkit for the new web.

The next chapter made me feel like Fields was hanging out with me more often than I knew. It’s like he has the secret sauce on how I think about platforms and how the web changes trust. His chapter on authority could also be worth the price of the book alone.

Career Renegade does something that lots of books about job finding does not: it takes into account today’s web and how the world has shifted. I’m not sure I can say much more about it, if you’re not already sold.

This book is more for entrepreneurs than lifers. If you’re happily ensconced in the cubicle, leave it be. It’s not for you. Instead, give this to the Starbucks and Panera crowd. I mean, heck: buy a half dozen of these and hand them out. If you were a venture investor (and I know a few of my VC friends hang out her), buy a few of these to give out to the weirder pitches you get.

I can assure you this: Jonathan Fields’ book doesn’t read like it was written by a lawyer. It’s full of storytelling, bite-sized information, and it moves like a book written for the easily distracted. I’m a fan.

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  • Not all people can have such kind of success well there are probably some chances especially if they have the guts and skills and of course the ability to decide for a cause
  • Are you looking for a change in your career path? This is the book to help you do it. Simply put this book will change your life! Do what you love with your life with the help of this book.
  • I love reading books. And always keep on searching different books and their reviews. M sure the book suggested here will be worth reading. Thanks...
  • Thanks for the tip. I'm going to definitely check it out!
  • Meryl Steinberg (meryl333)
    John Grisham is one of many lawyers who are great storytellers and writers. Who have you been hanging with, tax attorneys?
  • I have read several blogs today on this site about books and I would like to suggest one but i do not want to detract from the writing about another book so I apologize but am just wanting to offer this for those who like to have good reads.

    If you want to read a great business book.....read the Nick Saban's "How good do you want to be" .....Whether you like Alabama or LSU or Nick Saban the message and theory is awesome. Very few coach's will write on a level outside the playing field. Saban has a great business mind. I have made it one of my newest topics on my business presentation list. IT ranks up there with the books ...."good to great", the Stephen Covey books (my favorite being the "First things First"). I have done corporate training classes for years on all the greats of the business concept books and Nick Saban's is centered around the foundation of the basics and is wonderful. Probably the best because it's things that apply to the person in any job field, students or used alone as a motivational guide. It's a short easy reader as well and that is important in the daily life we live. Give it a try.
  • Hey Chris,

    thanks for the review, I'll be sure to check this dude out :)


    AJ Kumar
  • Chris,

    Thanks for the tip regarding Jonathan's book! I will go out and purchase this book today.

    Just came back from a huge Affiliate Summit West 2009 in Las Vegas. You would not have believed the crowd of over three-thousand attendees during a so- called 'recession'.

    You and I know that perceptions provided by the mainstream media are skewed towards the negative. my friend Jonathan Volk is achieving huge online profits during this downturn.

    With a clear business plan in hand, no one can stop you or I from achieving our goals in 2009.

    Glad to hear about the recent Pirates 'crew' additions!
    Can't wait to see the results regarding your success stories for 2009!

    Respectfully,

    Nicholas Chase
    www.twitter.com/nachase
  • Jasmine Guevara
    Great post, as I tend to have lots of business ideas each day. Do your blogposts have a "tweet this" option?
  • Chris, this is a timely post. Many professionals I talk to right now are considering moving from Acme Inc to Me Inc - seeing the lack of job security (and fulfillment) in today's world of work. Because that leap from employee to entrepreneur can be a giant one, it is important to get as much input advice and information as possible.

    There are lots of books out there that help people make the mindset shift necessary to start their own business. But this book provides fresh advice that puts entrepreneurship in context with what is happening in the world and on the web - and that is extremely valuable. I recommend this book to all my personal branding clients who are considering self-issued pink-slips so they can go off and live their dream.

    Thanks for blogging your review.

    Best.
    William
    www.williamarruda.com
  • As I said in a blurb in his book "Free Yourself! Jonathan Fields show you the specific resources you can use to turn your passion into income”
  • @Sommer - super happy to hear from you, and thanks for coming to the comments. I'm glad that you're here, and happy to have you in the conversation.

    Not sure if this book changes the world, but I loved that it leaned towards action.
  • Chris, I'm a lurker. I read your blog faithfully since @scottmonty mentioned you. I actually scroll through my inbox to find your update. I really liked your post on just being a person and how we are all people but this post, I need it. I think of a new business hourly and all my ideas usually get eye rolls from family. "Oh, great now what business idea does Sommer have?" I don't even mention the ideas anymore because they don't come to life and I think of them as just ideas. I'd love to learn more about action and yes, not just "go get'em!" type of books. I have the motivational stuff but it's the idea to reality that I'm looking for. Now with the web and my online business and services growing like weeds, this book sounds amazing. Thanks Chris and I'll comment more often or at least try! LOL!
  • I've got a few books of this type on my desk right now and haven't made it through any of them. As others have noted, too many of these books fail to deliver (which is why I always get them from the library now).

    Now, I'd be happy to take one of the half-dozen you're going to buy and hand out. ;)
  • Chris: Thank you for sharing this book and the author's background and ideas. As an attorney turned passionate entrepreneur myself, I am excited to feel the vibe of a fellow barrister. I think I'll check with Jonathan to see if he'd like to appear as a guest on my Indie Business Radio Show. Thanks again for the tip.
  • Book review is essential before we decide to buy a book. Thanks for providing one Chris. That's definitely useful. I agree with you David, not a bad price at all. It is worthy trying.
  • I love a good book with great reviews! @income4life Napoleon Hill's book is also a must read. Thanks Chris for the suggestion!
  • So many of those "wispy, airy you can do it, sweetheart!” books have made me somewhat of a skeptic that these books can provide anything of real value. I may have to give it one more shot with this one. Not a bad price either.

    Dave
  • Chris, you made me want to go out and get this book yet tonight! Thanks for the review. I'll definitely be checking out this Career Renegade!
  • I also recommend Think and Grow Rich! is a motivational book written by Napoleon Hill and inspired by a suggestion by Scottish-American billionaire Andrew Carnegie.
  • Jonathan's book, Career Renegade, was one I recommended to my SMARTSTART members last year. I share your views on it and I'm so glad you liked it and decided to write a post about it. It's a great read with many interesting insights. I thought he did a beautiful job on his web site and the marketing plan too.

    Linda M. Lopeke
    The SMARTSTART Coach
  • This is the second really positive review of this book I've read this week, I guess that means I need to read it!
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