So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

Cal Newport

Sept 2012 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Dave Mallow

About this audiobook

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.

Ratings and reviews

I loved listening to this book (So Good They Can't Ignore You...). I will say I get a bit confused at times as to what the difference really is between the passion mind set and the craftsman mind set, which is the main topic of the book. There are definitely some major good points made throughout this book and is worth the purchase!

Cal almost seemed angry at passion at first, almost punitive. I was frustrated at the lack of calling out the fact that in each of the initial explosions of people's poorly planned dreams were often conceived in selfishness and misplaced expectations. However the deeper I got into the book, his arguments gained steam and had substance that I will be applying to create more craftsmanship in my own life. It went beyond caution to building something really fantastic. Highly recommend this book.

four

About the author

Cal Newport, Ph.D., lives in Washington, D.C., where he is a writer and an assistant professor of computer science at Georgetown University. He also runs the popular website Study Hacks: Decoding Patterns of Success. Deep Work is his fifth book.