What do you think?
Rate this book
Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself
Widely acclaimed for its engaging style and provocative perspective, this book has helped thousands transform their working lives. Now including a 30-page resource guide that explains the basics of working for oneself.
It's about fulfillment. A revolution is sweeping America. On its front lines are people fed up with unfulfilling jobs, dysfunctional workplaces, and dead-end careers. Meet today's new economic the free agent-men and women who are working for themselves. And meet your future.
It's about freedom. Free agents are the marketing consultant down the street, the home-based "mompreneur," the footloose technology contractor. Already 30 million strong, these 21st-century pioneers are creating lives with more meaning-and often more money. Free Agent Nation is your ticket to this world.
It's about time. Now, you can
The kind of free agent you can be-"soloist," "temp," or "microbusiness"-and how to launch your new career.
How to get the perks you once received from your health insurance, office space, training, workplace togetherness, even water cooler gossip.
Why the free agent economy is increasingly a woman's world-and how women are flourishing in it.
The transformation of retirement-how older workers are creating successful new businesses (and whole new lives) through the Internet.
It's about fulfillment. A revolution is sweeping America. On its front lines are people fed up with unfulfilling jobs, dysfunctional workplaces, and dead-end careers. Meet today's new economic the free agent-men and women who are working for themselves. And meet your future.
It's about freedom. Free agents are the marketing consultant down the street, the home-based "mompreneur," the footloose technology contractor. Already 30 million strong, these 21st-century pioneers are creating lives with more meaning-and often more money. Free Agent Nation is your ticket to this world.
It's about time. Now, you can
The kind of free agent you can be-"soloist," "temp," or "microbusiness"-and how to launch your new career.
How to get the perks you once received from your health insurance, office space, training, workplace togetherness, even water cooler gossip.
Why the free agent economy is increasingly a woman's world-and how women are flourishing in it.
The transformation of retirement-how older workers are creating successful new businesses (and whole new lives) through the Internet.
400 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
67 people are currently reading
2748 people want to read
About the author
Daniel H. Pink
156 books28.8k followersDaniel H. Pink is the author of six provocative books — including his newest, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.
WHEN has spent 4 months on the New York Times bestseller list and was named a Best Book of 2018 by Amazon and iBooks.
Dan's other books include the long-running New York Times bestseller A Whole New Mind and the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into 39 languages.
He and his wife, who live in Washington, DC, have three children -- a college senior, a college sophomore, and a high school sophomore.
WHEN has spent 4 months on the New York Times bestseller list and was named a Best Book of 2018 by Amazon and iBooks.
Dan's other books include the long-running New York Times bestseller A Whole New Mind and the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into 39 languages.
He and his wife, who live in Washington, DC, have three children -- a college senior, a college sophomore, and a high school sophomore.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
February 17, 2016
Exceptional book on what Pink calls “the future of working for yourself.” He developed this book after more than a year of face-to-face interviews with several hundred workers, describing it as “as ground-level view of a revolution in how Americans work and live.” Pink is not saying that everyone will become a free agent (or should, includes a link to a website with password to find out if you are cut of the free agent cloth), but many will be making the leap. He writes in an entertaining and disarming style (integrates Jerry Maguire and Abraham Maslow in chapter 4 – The new work ethic), including much information and research to support his claims. Another plus – each of the 16 chapters has a summary page with 1) the crux – summary of the chapter, 2) the factoid – some numbers to support his assertions, 3) the quote – a noteworthy excerpt from the chapter and 4) the word – a word he has coined. for example, “the Peter-Out Principle holds that people will move up the ranks of an organization until they stop having fun. When the fun peters out, the talented people walk out – usually to become free agents.”
This edition includes a resource guide which also offers: 10 steps for getting started as a free agent, 101 free agent survival tips, 10 sources of free agent health insurance, 10 suggestions for starting a F.A.N. (free agent network) club, and 10 other books worth reading.
This edition includes a resource guide which also offers: 10 steps for getting started as a free agent, 101 free agent survival tips, 10 sources of free agent health insurance, 10 suggestions for starting a F.A.N. (free agent network) club, and 10 other books worth reading.
July 2, 2009
This is another interesting book from Daniel Pink about the intersection of cultural trends, market forces, and an individual's place amidst them. Once upon a time, people found themselves easily within families, nations, corporations, or other "ideological apparatuses" to paraphrase Louis Althusser. Now, however, all the machines are broken and decentralized. Pink does a great job of putting a lot of this into focus.
On the other hand, most of what he writes here is patently obvious. Maybe it wasn't in 2001 when the book was originally published, but it definitely is now. The next edition should cut out most of the text in favor of the provocative and excellent chapters on Education and home schooling, the feasibility of a bond market for small businesses, and the very helpful appendices with practical advice on insurance, source language for contracts, working in a home office, etc.
WHY I READ THIS BOOK: see the entry on JOHNNY BUNKO.
On the other hand, most of what he writes here is patently obvious. Maybe it wasn't in 2001 when the book was originally published, but it definitely is now. The next edition should cut out most of the text in favor of the provocative and excellent chapters on Education and home schooling, the feasibility of a bond market for small businesses, and the very helpful appendices with practical advice on insurance, source language for contracts, working in a home office, etc.
WHY I READ THIS BOOK: see the entry on JOHNNY BUNKO.
November 27, 2020
exhausting
September 14, 2021
DNF; I am intrigued by the Author, but I think this book is far too old to be read in 2021 and there are more other interesting books in my pile to read.
February 18, 2024
By the time I read this in February 2024, this book is a 23-year-old manifesto on "working for yourself"/"being your own boss" that is both prescient and dated.
This book is prescient in that in the past 20+ years, employer and employee loyalty has become an increasingly foreign concept; the internet has evolved, connection speeds are much faster and smartphones were invented, making portable work much easier; and in light of a global pandemic and its aftermath, work-from-home/remote/hybrid jobs are relatively mainstream (though not for all companies/industries). The internet and social media have also created new, digital-centric jobs and income opportunities open to both individual entrepreneurs ("influencers") and brands (digital marketing consultants, social media brand ambassadors, etc.).
This book is dated in all the ways you might expect from a book writing about the internet, politics, and society from 20+ years ago.
This book is prescient in that in the past 20+ years, employer and employee loyalty has become an increasingly foreign concept; the internet has evolved, connection speeds are much faster and smartphones were invented, making portable work much easier; and in light of a global pandemic and its aftermath, work-from-home/remote/hybrid jobs are relatively mainstream (though not for all companies/industries). The internet and social media have also created new, digital-centric jobs and income opportunities open to both individual entrepreneurs ("influencers") and brands (digital marketing consultants, social media brand ambassadors, etc.).
This book is dated in all the ways you might expect from a book writing about the internet, politics, and society from 20+ years ago.
January 20, 2017
The first half or so was surprisingly good for a 15 year old book. The second half, which was lots of prognosticating about life in the 2010's, has not aged super well. Overall a worthwhile read and a good companion piece to The Startup of You.
February 12, 2020
The stories in the book are old, and it's an old book but the predictions in here have come to fruition and have accelerated since the time this book was published.
March 21, 2021
"In hindsight, it was inevitable."
This was a very enjoyable read to get to consume in 2020, nearly two full decades after Pink originally published. Much of what he was hypothesizing has become reality and certain points that might have been considered speculative are now closer to what is accepted as status quo.
As the owner of a micro-business, I resonated with a lot of what Pink offered as the motivation, intent, and practical obstacles that exist for solo or small business operators. Still, there were refreshing ideas and ways of thinking throughout the book that affirmed my decision making and gave me ideas to help build opportunities for our team and others in the future. I highly recommend.
Quotes
On the Status Quo:
"The Organization Man. The title marched into our national vocabulary. The label described what was then the quintessence of work in America: an individual, almost always male, who ignored or buried his own identity and goals in the service of a large organization, which rewarded his self-denial with a regular paycheck, the promise of job security, and a fixed place in the world."
"But most (knowledge workers) were thinking smaller. Like me, they were tired and dissatisfied. They just wanted to be in charge of their lives."
On the Need for a New Way
"Freedom—the ability to exercise one’s will—has become essential for making meaning in work."
“Job diversity” is essential because “job security” has evaporated.
"'Working when, where, how much, under what conditions and for whom you want.' As both Edward Stillingfleet and Abraham Maslow would have understood, free will—not free cola— quenches the thirst for meaning."
On the "Hollywood Studio" Strategy
"Talented people (actors, directors, writers, animators, key grips, and so on) and very small firms come together for a particular, finite project. When they complete the project, they disband, each participant having learned new skills, forged new connections, deepened existing relationships, enhanced their reputations within the industry, and earned a credit they can add to their résumé. Some portion of these people may gather again—along with a new crop of people—for another project. And when that project wraps, the free agents again will head their separate ways."
"In Free Agent Nation, loyalty isn’t dead. It’s different. Instead of the up-and-down loyalty that runs from an individual to an institution, free agents practice a new side-to-side loyalty—a fierce allegiance to clients, colleagues, ex-colleagues, teams, professions, projects, and industries. In some ways, loyalty is stronger than ever."
On the benefits of Free Agent Nation:
"Indeed, where the Calvinist work ethic called for self-denial, the free agent work ethic permits—and at times, demands—self-expression."
"Women are a driving force behind free agency, and could possibly dominate the free agent economy."
"Full-time independent contractors earn an average of 15 percent more than their employee counterparts."
"Deep into the middle class, Americans are enjoying a standard of living unmatched in world history and unthinkable to our ancestors just a hundred years ago."
This was a very enjoyable read to get to consume in 2020, nearly two full decades after Pink originally published. Much of what he was hypothesizing has become reality and certain points that might have been considered speculative are now closer to what is accepted as status quo.
As the owner of a micro-business, I resonated with a lot of what Pink offered as the motivation, intent, and practical obstacles that exist for solo or small business operators. Still, there were refreshing ideas and ways of thinking throughout the book that affirmed my decision making and gave me ideas to help build opportunities for our team and others in the future. I highly recommend.
Quotes
On the Status Quo:
"The Organization Man. The title marched into our national vocabulary. The label described what was then the quintessence of work in America: an individual, almost always male, who ignored or buried his own identity and goals in the service of a large organization, which rewarded his self-denial with a regular paycheck, the promise of job security, and a fixed place in the world."
"But most (knowledge workers) were thinking smaller. Like me, they were tired and dissatisfied. They just wanted to be in charge of their lives."
On the Need for a New Way
"Freedom—the ability to exercise one’s will—has become essential for making meaning in work."
“Job diversity” is essential because “job security” has evaporated.
"'Working when, where, how much, under what conditions and for whom you want.' As both Edward Stillingfleet and Abraham Maslow would have understood, free will—not free cola— quenches the thirst for meaning."
On the "Hollywood Studio" Strategy
"Talented people (actors, directors, writers, animators, key grips, and so on) and very small firms come together for a particular, finite project. When they complete the project, they disband, each participant having learned new skills, forged new connections, deepened existing relationships, enhanced their reputations within the industry, and earned a credit they can add to their résumé. Some portion of these people may gather again—along with a new crop of people—for another project. And when that project wraps, the free agents again will head their separate ways."
"In Free Agent Nation, loyalty isn’t dead. It’s different. Instead of the up-and-down loyalty that runs from an individual to an institution, free agents practice a new side-to-side loyalty—a fierce allegiance to clients, colleagues, ex-colleagues, teams, professions, projects, and industries. In some ways, loyalty is stronger than ever."
On the benefits of Free Agent Nation:
"Indeed, where the Calvinist work ethic called for self-denial, the free agent work ethic permits—and at times, demands—self-expression."
"Women are a driving force behind free agency, and could possibly dominate the free agent economy."
"Full-time independent contractors earn an average of 15 percent more than their employee counterparts."
"Deep into the middle class, Americans are enjoying a standard of living unmatched in world history and unthinkable to our ancestors just a hundred years ago."
January 28, 2019
This book is a classic example of what could have been a blog post, at least in 2019 when the WHY freelance? question is pretty well dissected. I get that it wasn’t the case when the book was written I.e 2002. Only the last 20/30 pages had some
practical tips on how to be a free agent , however most of those resources are pretty obsolete today with niche professional networks a click away. This book needs a 2018/2019/2020 edition badly. If you’ve had this book on your list for a while, go find another book that tackles a similar subject, but is more current. I liked his other book Drive, so I
Had a lot of hopes from this one.
practical tips on how to be a free agent , however most of those resources are pretty obsolete today with niche professional networks a click away. This book needs a 2018/2019/2020 edition badly. If you’ve had this book on your list for a while, go find another book that tackles a similar subject, but is more current. I liked his other book Drive, so I
Had a lot of hopes from this one.
July 13, 2018
Easy read, full of a wide variety of topics related to freelancing - including a history of freelancing and some speculation on how freelancing will impact society in the future.
The ideas were interesting and easy to understand but the book might have suffered by trying to be TOO complete in what it covered. It could have easily dropped a few chapters that seemed to be repeating the same ideas the author already covered.
Overall a pretty good book but one that I found myself skimming at times.
The ideas were interesting and easy to understand but the book might have suffered by trying to be TOO complete in what it covered. It could have easily dropped a few chapters that seemed to be repeating the same ideas the author already covered.
Overall a pretty good book but one that I found myself skimming at times.
February 18, 2023
Author Daniel H. Pink has done it yet again with his book Free Agent Nation
This book is most certainly a must read for anyone looking to improve their position in life and taking charge of their career path. Written in an upbeat and positive tempo, Pink maps out a number of different routes which are available to those willing to go beyond their comfort zone. I predict the advice set out and proffered in Free Agent Nation by Daniel H.Pink will be just as relevant 100 years from now as it is today, and is sure to be a Classic
This book is most certainly a must read for anyone looking to improve their position in life and taking charge of their career path. Written in an upbeat and positive tempo, Pink maps out a number of different routes which are available to those willing to go beyond their comfort zone. I predict the advice set out and proffered in Free Agent Nation by Daniel H.Pink will be just as relevant 100 years from now as it is today, and is sure to be a Classic
February 21, 2022
I really enjoyed some of the author's other works. This one, however, didn't really land with me. This little book seems to mostly be glamorizing the life of a freelancer, without pointing out the many difficulties of such a path.
The author has some useful points, but it didn't resonate with me and doesn't seem super helpful. I'm also interested to see what the author would write after exploring the modern gig economy.
The author has some useful points, but it didn't resonate with me and doesn't seem super helpful. I'm also interested to see what the author would write after exploring the modern gig economy.
March 22, 2018
This is a somewhat useful book, which is nonetheless shows its age. It explores the dawn of the age of free agents but hasn't been updated in sometime. Nonetheless a lot of what the author shares is still accurate and spot, especially the reality of being a contract worker. This book could use some updates, but still has some useful information.
October 27, 2017
As someone desperately seeking to work for himself, this book was invaluable because it recounted dozens of stories about people who left their jobs and succeeded in working independently in various arenas.
September 19, 2019
This book was published in 2001, so the content is quite dated. It was interesting to see how many of the author’s predictions were correct. Certain content, such as FAN Clubs, is still very good and relevant.
October 26, 2020
Tough to rate a 20 year old book about the future, so I went 3 stars. Good writing, helpful insights, but probably would've been 3-stars for me back then anyways due to its cursory overview style and very little actionable information. Reads like a long magazine article.
January 20, 2023
A typical mid 1990s business book. Things you already know or could guess supplemented with factoids, anecdotes and break out box summaries. Spoiler alert...lots more people are working freelance these days.
August 6, 2025
Much of the content is old and dated. It talks about the internet like it's still new. There's a whole chapter on how amazing it is to use computers at Kinko's. Perhaps useful to people looking for encouragement to leave a corporation if you stop after reading the first third.
November 21, 2019
An oldie but a goodie about how freelancing, self-employment and micro-entrepreneurship will change (and at this point, have changed) the world of work.
June 21, 2020
Really enjoyed this book as I think the workforce is going more towards free agents. Will be interesting how COVID brings this more to light.
February 25, 2021
Useful in thinking about the factors that matter most in a career - but in need of major revisions for a Post-Pandemic workforce.
April 25, 2021
There were some great bits in here, I just wish I had read it when it came out 20 years ago.
February 2, 2024
Profético
January 5, 2009
Interesting chapters: Chapter 15, 16. The rest is boring: uninteresting details, or obvious if you've given any thought to freelancing.
Might be good if you are new to or utterly bemused by freelancing; otherwise, not recommended (except perhaps the chapters mentioned above) -- just read the chapter summaries the author provides.
Interesting tidbits:
1/4 of workers in America are freelancers; 2/3 in California hold non-traditional jobs.
Most people find jobs through contacts; and 5/6 of those cases, the contacts are with people they don't know very well.
Starbucks as a free agent office center.
When Roosevelt established 65 as the standard U.S. retirement age, life expectancy was 63. Now 76.
School not mandatory until 1920s.
Home schooling illegal in most states in 1980.
1/10 kids are home-schooled.
Summary:
The rise of free agents (e.g., because easier for one person to operate a business; because prosperity -- long time since Great Depression! -- allows thinking of working as more than just a way to make money; because people care more about self-expression and independence than money). Older generation used to be loyal to their organizations/companies; no longer. Different kind of workday schedule for free agents. Free agent clubs to overcome loneliness, exchange advice, offer support. More fluid/horizontal organization chart for free agents. Economic infrastructure for free agents (e.g., copy and printing shops, coffee shops, bookstores). Matchmakers and agents to help find jobs. Industrial economy separated work and family; free agent economy is rejoining them. Many laws (e.g., health insurance, taxes) are not beneficial to free agents. Temp slaves (dark side of free agency). More people will e-tire in the future -- instead of leaving work world, continue as free agents. Unschooling/self-teaching/apprenticeships in the free agent future. Typical workplace office will change into: private places for quiet work, and lodges for collaborative work/community. Free agents will raise capital the way companies do today -- borrowing money or selling stakes in their enterprise (i.e., equity); this will lead to new financial instruments, such as Free Agent bonds (like student loans, but with lower interest rates than credit cards) and Individual Public Offerings. America's free agents will become an electoral force.
Might be good if you are new to or utterly bemused by freelancing; otherwise, not recommended (except perhaps the chapters mentioned above) -- just read the chapter summaries the author provides.
Interesting tidbits:
1/4 of workers in America are freelancers; 2/3 in California hold non-traditional jobs.
Most people find jobs through contacts; and 5/6 of those cases, the contacts are with people they don't know very well.
Starbucks as a free agent office center.
When Roosevelt established 65 as the standard U.S. retirement age, life expectancy was 63. Now 76.
School not mandatory until 1920s.
Home schooling illegal in most states in 1980.
1/10 kids are home-schooled.
Summary:
The rise of free agents (e.g., because easier for one person to operate a business; because prosperity -- long time since Great Depression! -- allows thinking of working as more than just a way to make money; because people care more about self-expression and independence than money). Older generation used to be loyal to their organizations/companies; no longer. Different kind of workday schedule for free agents. Free agent clubs to overcome loneliness, exchange advice, offer support. More fluid/horizontal organization chart for free agents. Economic infrastructure for free agents (e.g., copy and printing shops, coffee shops, bookstores). Matchmakers and agents to help find jobs. Industrial economy separated work and family; free agent economy is rejoining them. Many laws (e.g., health insurance, taxes) are not beneficial to free agents. Temp slaves (dark side of free agency). More people will e-tire in the future -- instead of leaving work world, continue as free agents. Unschooling/self-teaching/apprenticeships in the free agent future. Typical workplace office will change into: private places for quiet work, and lodges for collaborative work/community. Free agents will raise capital the way companies do today -- borrowing money or selling stakes in their enterprise (i.e., equity); this will lead to new financial instruments, such as Free Agent bonds (like student loans, but with lower interest rates than credit cards) and Individual Public Offerings. America's free agents will become an electoral force.
February 12, 2012
Daniel Pink - Free Agent Nation
Sometimes a book is overtaken by history. Daniel Pink's Free Agent Nation is an optimistic look at the future, where more people will work for themselves and an entire economy will be reorganized to accomodate this growing army of Free Agents. But it's a book from 2001, written before 9/11 and before the Credit Crunch. So with hindsight it's an overly optimistic book.
Does that mean that it was a waiste of time to read it. No, certainly not. Pink is an engaging writer with the ability to make me consider things from a new perspective. So if you'll leave out that the book might be outdated in parts, it also offers ideas about how people perceive work and how new technologies offer us new ways of working. Some of the trends he describes in his book did come true. We tend to blend work and private time (for instance, is writing this blog work of do I do it, because I enjoy it?) with the use of our smart phones and we give meaning to the work that we do. The cleaners in The Netherlands who went on strike wanted something else apart from more pay: they wanted respect for the work they do. And one of the main causes of stress is not having too much to do, but not feeling in control of what we do. So in the light, Pink is right. But after more than ten years, I think the book needs an update to describe the current urgency. How do Free Agents fare in times of troubles, when everything could be on the line?
Sometimes a book is overtaken by history. Daniel Pink's Free Agent Nation is an optimistic look at the future, where more people will work for themselves and an entire economy will be reorganized to accomodate this growing army of Free Agents. But it's a book from 2001, written before 9/11 and before the Credit Crunch. So with hindsight it's an overly optimistic book.
Does that mean that it was a waiste of time to read it. No, certainly not. Pink is an engaging writer with the ability to make me consider things from a new perspective. So if you'll leave out that the book might be outdated in parts, it also offers ideas about how people perceive work and how new technologies offer us new ways of working. Some of the trends he describes in his book did come true. We tend to blend work and private time (for instance, is writing this blog work of do I do it, because I enjoy it?) with the use of our smart phones and we give meaning to the work that we do. The cleaners in The Netherlands who went on strike wanted something else apart from more pay: they wanted respect for the work they do. And one of the main causes of stress is not having too much to do, but not feeling in control of what we do. So in the light, Pink is right. But after more than ten years, I think the book needs an update to describe the current urgency. How do Free Agents fare in times of troubles, when everything could be on the line?
May 3, 2012
Now, I just want to say up front I love Dan Pink, that is to say, I’m a big Dan Pink fan, which made it even worse to be so disappointed with Free Agent Nation. It’s not that he didn’t have anything useful to say on the topic of starting your own business, just that it all seemed a bit trite and the ideas regurgitated from somewhere else. He talked a lot about why being a freeagent was changing the world (really? a big claim) but not much about how.
What I did like about this book is that Dan knows how the brain learns and works, so he provides a synopsis at the end of every chapter. After reading the first few chapters, I mostly read this book via the synopsis. I still learnt something, and particularly liked the Resouce Guide at the back, with 101 survival tips. Being a new freeagent I particularly liked the advice to establish an opening and closing ritual for your day, so you can separate work and home life. This resonates as a very good idea with me.
Otherwise I’m sad to say I didn’t pick up much and my mind wasn’t levered open & presented to me in a different way, which I usually find with Mr Pink’s books. Oh well, you might like it!
What I did like about this book is that Dan knows how the brain learns and works, so he provides a synopsis at the end of every chapter. After reading the first few chapters, I mostly read this book via the synopsis. I still learnt something, and particularly liked the Resouce Guide at the back, with 101 survival tips. Being a new freeagent I particularly liked the advice to establish an opening and closing ritual for your day, so you can separate work and home life. This resonates as a very good idea with me.
Otherwise I’m sad to say I didn’t pick up much and my mind wasn’t levered open & presented to me in a different way, which I usually find with Mr Pink’s books. Oh well, you might like it!
to-keep-reference
May 13, 2016En su libro Free Agent Nation, Daniel H. Pink describe un país cuya fuerza de trabajo está constituida cada vez más por «agentes libres», es decir, trabajadores que son profesionales por cuenta propia, contratistas independientes, asesores y otros trabajadores autónomos, muchos de los cuales establecen sus propios horarios. Según Pink, ya hay cerca de treinta y tres millones de agentes libres u hombres y mujeres en «desorganización» en Estados Unidos, más de una cuarta parte del total de la fuerza de trabajo estadounidense. Esto, añade, representa aproximadamente el doble que el número de trabajadores de fábrica y dos veces la cifra de trabajadores sindicados. Aunque las estadísticas disponibles no lo digan, según Pink, «probablemente más de la mitad» de todos los agentes libres son pagados por proyecto, a comisión o en concepto de alguna otra variable no basada en el tiempo. Así pues, otra de las características del capitalismo industrial, el trabajo asalariado, ya no puede seguir dándose por descontada.
La Revolución de la Riqueza Pág.46-47
La Revolución de la Riqueza Pág.46-47
January 7, 2017
FAN provides a lot of insight on why and how a growing number of workers trade the security of a fixed paycheck, by the security of having a diversified portfolio of income sources, the opportunities ahead, the challenges they will face, and the benefits they will get.
Written at the start of the century, it foresaw many of trends that materialized later, and are still currently (2017) relevant, particularly in the context of globalization (and its impact such as a growing inequality, and the growing power of capital over labor), lower cost of means of production, and ubiquitous connectivity.
You should definitely read this book if you are considering switching from paycheck employment to working on your own, are starting a career and unsure which path you should take. For those already working on your own the book will provide some useful insights (although some are dated), and the comfort to know that you are sharing that path with a growing number of people.
Written at the start of the century, it foresaw many of trends that materialized later, and are still currently (2017) relevant, particularly in the context of globalization (and its impact such as a growing inequality, and the growing power of capital over labor), lower cost of means of production, and ubiquitous connectivity.
You should definitely read this book if you are considering switching from paycheck employment to working on your own, are starting a career and unsure which path you should take. For those already working on your own the book will provide some useful insights (although some are dated), and the comfort to know that you are sharing that path with a growing number of people.
July 15, 2012
Good historical and cultural background to the changing landscape of work. Interesting to read the book now and see what predictions came true and which ones we are still waiting for. Definitely not the book to read if you need to kick start yourself into self employment. It is very much a background work bordering on academic. For more hands on guidance I would recommend Pam Slim's Escape from Cubicle Nation, Chris Guillebeau's The $100 Startup, or Jon Acuff's Quitter. Those three are more current and much more actionable in terms of the content. If you want to understand the why and the how of the free agent movement, Dan Pink's book is a great read.
March 24, 2013
Interesting book and amazingly still relevant, probably even more so than when the author wrote it in 2001. I usually think it's interesting to see how predictions have changed when a book is older -- this is a pretty timeless one. His theories on more people choosing to work independently rather than for large corporations is even more relevant after coming through the financial crisis. Sadly, I wish some of his predictions on small business taxes, healthcare and other social policies had come true -- there's always hope. Excellent book for anyone who has ever thought of branching out on their own, and for corporate leaders trying to understand the changing workforce.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews