Cal Newport throws a jug of cold water to all those follow-your-passion-believers. And it does make a lot of sense. I’m tired of seeing adverts on Facebook from self-proclaimed gurus that sell books on how to start your passion business.
I am sure I have published before things like, do whatever you love. And after reading this book, I felt a bit guilty, because it’s not great advice, or at least isn’t without clarifying that your passion needs to be sustainable and have enough target market.
This book is quite brutally honest, packed with a lot of good advice and knowledge, but don’t think this is a step by step of how to be so good that they can’t ignore you. You learn your way by reading and digesting the information in the book.
At the end of this book don’t expect to be able to ‘Follow your passion’, as Cal explains why there aren’t more people working in their real desire. The reason is simple to succeed in something you have to become very good if not the best, and you have to focus on what your talent lays as oppose to what your passion is.
##What I like from the book?
I like the stories included inside. There are multiple examples of people who seem to do what their passion is but in reality is what they are good at, such as Steve Jobs. And examples of failures too.
One of the interesting stories that stayed with me is the one with the yoga teacher that left her marketing career and did a three-month course to become a yoga teacher, however, like her, there were hundreds which helped her to fail when the crisis stroke.
##My rating ****
I rated this book as pretty good. I think its honesty makes you feel uncomfortable at the time, but at the same time, its wisdom tells you all those things that most people won’t. Following your passion might be a bad advice and with that doesn’t tell you that you should be a pessimist, says that you need to put the effort on what your rare skills are.