Start

Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters

By: Jon Acuff

Narrated by: Jon Acuff

Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Wall Street Journal best-selling author Jon Acuff reveals the steps to getting unstuck and back onto the path of being awesome.

Over the last 100 years, the road to success for most everyone has been divided into predictable stages. But three things have changed the path to success:

• Boomers are realizing that a lot of the things they were promised aren't going to materialize, and they have started second and third careers.
• Technology has given access to an unprecedented number of people who are building online empires and changing their lives in ways that would have been impossible years ago.
• The days of "success first, significance later" have ended.

While none of the stages can be skipped, they can be shortened and accelerated. There are only two paths in life: average and awesome. The average path is easy because all you have to do is nothing. The awesome path is more challenging, because things like fear only bother you when you do work that matters. The good news is Start gives listeners practical, actionable insights to be more awesome, more often.

©2013 Lampo Licensing, LLC (P)2013 Lampo Licensing, LLC

Great book if you're thinking if not this then what

This is a Great book if you're thinking "if not this then what?" The summary of the points at the end was worth the price of the book, although without reading the preceding chapters some of the bullet points wouldn't make sense. Read it and then apply it if you want to be awesome.

Need inspiration to start something? Listen!

Great book to inspire you to stop procrastinating and get started on the work you need to do and that fires you up.

Unexpected level of motivation!

Not sure what I appreciated more...the sharing or John's upbeat presentation. Glad he read the book himself...well done sir!

Inspiration with plenty of practical advice. Thank you for providing something many authors don't... a road map.

Just Start!

What made the experience of listening to Start the most enjoyable?

Real life example! I can really relate my self with most of situations that is describe in this book.

Would you recommend Start to your friends? Why or why not?

Sure! It's really good book about how to manage life in each phases and also if you are looking to ways jump start your goals in life.

What does Jon Acuff bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is sharing his life experiences with his own voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No! two hours a day.

Any additional comments?

Great book!

Most Accessible Self-Development Book I've Read

If you could sum up Start in three words, what would they be?

Motivational, Fun, Accessible

What does Jon Acuff bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jon Acuff is an AMAZING speaker and this is one of the best audiobook narrations I've ever heard. I imagine the book is great in print as well, but the way Jon tells stories is very engaging. Nothing about his speaking voice is dull.

Any additional comments?

I've read dozens of self-development books and this one is definitely at the top of the list (my other fav's would be How to Win Friends and Influence Others and Unstuff Your Life). There was not a single dull moment in this book, and even though it is directed at any age group, I feel like it is especially accessible and inspiring for younger people (20s, 30s). I wish I had read this book years ago! (if it had existed... which it didn't)

Motivation! Guidance! Awesome!

Jon's voice in my ear was like a guardian angel whispering truth about fear through honesty! Jon's wisdom took me through the 5 lands of Awesome and got me off the couch of average!! Say yes and click the "buy now button" ... He was wise to be the voice of his own book, not someone else just reading without the passion necessary to make this book come alive!

Like sitting in the room

This is more than a good book, it read with such passion by the author that I felt like I was sitting in the room listening to him speak. I would ventrue to guess that his speeches are much like his narration of this book.

Anyway great book to get you started in the morning.

amazing and inspiring

I really enjoyed this book, he was very funny and engaging but still very practical and inspiring. I loved it!

So fun

I was expecting more of a how to book. Jon is funny and crazy wise. Jon has so many great one liners that I would like to go through the book and write them down to consider longer. They are pithy, catchy and with remembering. I loved this book and I will get Jon's other book because this one is so good.

A worthy listen for anyone seeking (Awesome)

What made the experience of listening to Start the most enjoyable?

I can absolutely relate to the author's message. Being awesome as he describes it is definitely abnormal in our risk averse culture. However if enough of you wants something bad enough, you should want it bad enough to make the choice to be "awesome" at your endeavor. I really liked the section on what the author called critics math as well. We need to learn to focus on what is great, and not put all of our energy into our minority of critics. To paraphrase a story told by the author about the founder and then CEO of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kellleher's response to a vocal critic "We will miss you". Great advice.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the pop culture metaphors sprinkled throughout the audio book. Great energy and execution in the story and I like how even though it is a practical book the author manages to weave a narrative in about how he got to where he is today. "How did I get here!" Say it with an exclamation point and not a question mark. Great advice.