So Good They Can't Ignore You

Cal Newport

Dec 2016 · Hachette UK

About this ebook

Cal Newport's clearly-written manifesto flies in the face of conventional wisdom by suggesting that it should be a person's talent and skill - and not necessarily their passion - that determines their career path.

Newport, who graduated from Dartmouth College (Phi Beta Kappa) and earned a PhD. from MIT, contends that trying to find what drives us, instead of focusing on areas in which we naturally excel, is ultimately harmful and frustrating to job seekers.

The title is a direct quote from comedian Steve Martin who, when once asked why he was successful in his career, immediately replied: "Be so good they can't ignore you" and that's the main basis for Newport's book. Skill and ability trump passion.

Inspired by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs' famous Stanford University commencement speech in which Jobs urges idealistic grads to chase their dreams, Newport takes issue with that advice, claiming that not only is thsi advice Pollyannish, but that Jobs himself never followed his own advice.

From there, Newport presents compelling scientific and contemporary case study evidence that the key to one's career success is to find out what you do well, where you have built up your 'career capital,' and then to put all of your efforts into that direction.

Ratings and reviews

This book provides a refreshing perspective on career's. It has taught me( a 16yr) what adults, including my parents and teachers, fail to mention or haven't quite figured out yet. The book follows a flat structure, explains everything in detail and provides case studies and examples to emphasise the true power of the concepts. I'm already seeing a change in my abilities.

A great read.It emphasizes the importance of developing rare and valuable skills over mindless pursuit of passion hypothesis.It introduces to us the concept of career capital and also warns us that seeking control over career without having some rare and valuable skills i.e career capital,the efforts would turn out to be futile.Really loved this book

I find this book useful enough, the point is to understand the mindset of craftsman, after that is all the paradigms are very clear.

About the author

Cal Newport, Ph.D., lives in Washington, DC, where he is a writer and an assistant professor of computer science at Georgetown University. He is the author of SO GOOD THEY CAN'T IGNORE YOU and three books of unconventional advice for students. He runs the popular website Study Hacks: Decoding Patterns of Success.