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  • So Good They Can't Ignore You

  • Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love
  • Written by: Cal Newport
  • Narrated by: Dave Mallow
  • Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (279 ratings)

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So Good They Can't Ignore You cover art

So Good They Can't Ignore You

Written by: Cal Newport
Narrated by: Dave Mallow
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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

What listeners say about So Good They Can't Ignore You

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Really?

I just don’t buy it. The only good thing I can take from this message is work hard and you will become a master and then are in a position to get anything. But the rest? The author fails to note that you might actually hate your day because of your job and he suggests to put on 40 years of work so that you can start enjoying. No. There is things you like and things you cannot stand. Just e because you are a board accountant right now doesn’t mean that after years and years of practice you still
Won’t regret doing something you love. Things are not that black and white.

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5 people found this helpful

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Great insights, lessons, and inspiration

I got so much from this book. I listened all of last night then replayed it again all day, today. I really enjoyed this book and got motivated to restart my vision board and was able to reprioritize building my career capital. So much of this book is true to my experience. Thank you.

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2 people found this helpful

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So Meh You Can Ignore It

I’d still give Cam Newport another try as I believe he really lives what he says and I feel like a total a-hole giving this 2 stars, but i found it to be a real let down and I didn’t take anything away from it. Had such higher hopes.

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2 people found this helpful

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Top shelf ideas for a pursuing great career

Loved the concepts in this book. Helped me understand my own career path thus far and to better envision my path forward.

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Passion doesn’t always pay the bills!

Good insights to the passion hypothesis and it’s flaws. This book is well paired with Mastery by Robert Greene.

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Paradigm shift.

As a teacher of at risk individuals, helping them with finding a career they can enjoy and sustain themselves, this book has helped me immensely. It's not a light read. I have read it twice and may again. I highly recommend it.

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So Good that you must Listen.

Honest, real and practical career advice. No false promises here. This book is for anyone who is struggling to find success in life and is willing to work hard to achieve success.

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Puts things into perspectice

this book is phenomenal for younger professionals. I'm one that has big aspirations and have found myself getting increasingly impatient and wanting to jump around without career capital. This book focuses on the long game of your career and makes my big goals achievable in a realistic optomistic time frame if the appropriate work is applied.

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First book I’ve read/listened to in years!

The narrator was easy to listen to.
Great listen for a young professional looking for guidance on future career paths. Analytical thought process. Grateful Pat Lor recommended this book to my cohort while I was completing my mba.

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This book has changed my career trajectory.

This book is exactly what I needed right now at this moment in my career. It'll change the way you look at your work and do your work.

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