So Good They Can't Ignore You

Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

By: Cal Newport

Narrated by: Dave Mallow

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2012 Cal Newport (P)2012 Hachette Audio

I Was Stuck For 10 Years, And This Book Saved Me!

This is exactly the book I needed to listen to. I've felt stuck for more than 10 years because I've been searching for my "calling" or my "life's work", and I've not invested myself into what I WAS doing with my life because I was waiting to discover the passion that lived inside of me before I chose a path in life.

This book explained that I was doing it all wrong and what to do instead. I now realize that diving fully into what I'm doing and becoming really good at it is what will lead to feeling passionate about my career... not waiting for some innate secret wellspring of inspiration to be discovered and then I'll finally "take off". This book really saved me from another 10 years of wasting my life. Highly recommended!

The audiobook was performed really well. I listen to mine at double speed using the Audible app, but I kept having to pause it because the lessons in this book were so incredible that I had to write them down for later. I enjoyed listening to it, and I intend to make this one of the books I listen to every year.

Good Listen

I took a chance buying this since it is a new book with few reviews. It is a refreshing break from the "passion" based literature that is popular now. It teaches what has become uncommon sense these days - you get out of life what you put into it. Its backed by some research and good anecdotes, and gives needed perspective if you start thinking that you have to "find your calling". Few people find it without investing time, effort, an open mind, and patience, first. Saying that, I still find lots of motivating and helpful ideas in the passion based approach, so its not all black and white to me, but still this book adds a refreshing perspective.

This audio delivers on its Title

This audio delivers on its title. He argues against following your passion to find the ideal job and instead believes that passion comes after you already become excellent at something.
Very easy to follow and I like how he ties ideas from many other contemporary authors into his work.
I was surprised by how young the author is. Highly recommended for anyone who is planning their career.
A few good summaries of the audio.

Great concepts, dull to listen to

All the insights are incredible, but Dave Mallow’s voice is hard for me to spend time with...it feels like a lecture and like the narrators of 70s educational movies.

It was so good...

... I couldn't ignore it.(I bet I was not the first one to make that joke). The book is great to embrace on audio form. it's organized, with rules, stories, and a resume at the end. Amazing experience. 5/7

Every high schooler (and above) needs this advice!

I've always felt there was something lacking in the idea that you should follow your passion to find your work, but couldn't put my finger on it until reading this book. Cal Newport has a gift for tearing down fairly complex subjects and then proving them piece by piece so that by the end of the book you can't help but agree. I sent copies of this book to both my adult children and hope that they can glean something from it in their careers.

But the ultimate compliment I can offer Newport is that when reading his books I never am tempted to skip to the next chapter or bypass any of the material. He holds my attention throughout, and that's rare.

Great career advice!

Cal masterly dives deep into what makes a successful career successful or failing, exploring many examples of both and analyzes each case in dept. Follow your passion or building career capital is analyzed thoroughly and from there Cal is making conclusions or rules to follow for a successful career. Excellent read!

Very applicable now, will be applicable in new ways as life changes

Fantastic audiobook. I can see how my confidence in my own passions and strengths have actually held me back and made me miserable.

This audiobook is an extremely useful tool to help me at my current job and any future endeavor. It will also help in choosing that future endeavor. Outstanding.

Also, he reviews the key points of past chapters very often which is so helpful when you don’t have a physical copy in front of you and/or you’re not taking notes. Makes everything stick that much better.

did not disappoint

I wish I could have read this years ago. I'd recommend this book to any career minded person

build a career you love

this book is a great stepping stone in the quest for a career you're good at rather than following a passion