Disrupt Everything: The bestselling guide to harness change into a force for success from the 'literary legend'

by James Patterson, Patrick R. Leddin

You can live a better life. Start here. Start now.

Disruption is everywhere. From artificial intelligence to economic uncertainty to the pandemic's effect on the workplace. We've never seen anything like it in our lifetimes. But how can we use disruption to our advantage?

Enter world-renowned storyteller and entrepreneur, James Patterson, and leadership expert, Patrick Leddin, PhD, who both know disruption to be one of the most powerful and misunderstood forces in this fast-changing world. From their personal and professional experiences, advancement has always required abrupt, explosive change.

Now they show you how to turn disruption on its head too, using invaluable insights and practical tools to help you leverage this force for positive change.

Mastering disruption will have a revolutionary effect on your career, your relationships, and your life.

That's the bottom line. Leading a better life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business, Leadership

355 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2025

About the author

Official US Site
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JIMMY Patterson Books
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James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good directive on how to become what you want to be. Would make a great gift for a senior or recent graduate or even a new college student. Lessons on finding your path. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read manual for anyone stuck in a rut and wanting real change in their life! With practical and sage advice mixed with true stories of people who have made the decision to change the direction of their lives, this book is fascinating. It is like reading a textbook for success mixed with warnings about how to avoid pitfalls as you set out to make positive and lasting changes. I loved the true stories and how inspiring they were, but my favorite part was the last part of the book which has actual worksheets that allow the reader to put pen to paper and decide on a change and then plan for it. I have never seen such a methodical and well-researched book on a topic that is relevant to just about everyone and helpful to all, even if the change that comes about is a small one. Written for those who plan to make a radical change and encouraging them to go for it, but also giving warnings about obstacles they may encounter and plans they can make to overcome them. I am not usually a fan of non-fiction, but this book was amazing and needs to be in the hands of every young person who is looking for a new direction for their lives.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Haley Stabnow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book gives words to your feelings and helps you articulate all the swirling thoughts. Disrupt Everything by James Patterson and Patrick Leddin, PhD, speaks directly to entrepreneurs and leaders because disruptions in life are inevitable. But the real question is: how are you going to navigate these trials and still stay afloat?

In this book, the authors explore different styles of navigating not only business but personal disruptions as well. It’s a holistic guide that helps you refine your leadership style. I really enjoyed the archetypes they mention: Trailblazer, Firefighter, Torchbearer, Fire Chief, and Tinder Gatherer. Breaking down these styles in a conversational manner allows readers to recognize their strengths and better understand their leadership approach.

There’s no one right way to lead, but understanding your skills and values helps with decision-making in leadership. I loved how this book breaks that down, unlike other leadership books that insist there’s only one optimal way to run a team.

Bonus points for including additional worksheets that make it easier to print and use if you get the ebook version. Overall, this book is definitely going into my reference pile, and I’ll be using it often.

Thank you Little Brown co and James Patterson for the advance copy

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to say this book is definitely enlightening. I love how they had other people in this book telling, explaining how they overcame things and situations. So you know that it's not just yourself maybe going through something and in this book. There is something for everyone to learn from. And it is true, whether from a work perspective or family or your own life. which are basically one in the same.
This book explains how even though change is always going to happen whether good or bad it happens. But what you do with that change again good or bad or devastating. News of heartbreak and so on. It's how you overcome the change and what you take away from it. Sure it can be tough and not knowing where to go from there or how to change from bad to good. But you can do it with a mindset of I can get through this. With help from friends and family. Also the book mentions that if people that you surround yourself with are always bringing you down and not aligning with you're mindset. Maybe take a step back and think about the friendship and is it worth bring brought down or going with the wrong crowd? Can you find your people who want nothing but the best for you? Take away what you will from this book, it offers worksheets so you can always do them and heck maybe a few months later look back on them and see if anything has changed.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually read self help books or much nonfiction, but I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher as part of the James Patterson Street Team, so I couldn’t wait to read it!

This book was very interesting and very enlightening. When obstacles happen in our lives we tend to shut down and not know what to do. This book gives plenty of advice on how to overcome these obstacles and be a disrupter in life.

I really liked that we were given examples of people that were able to use the disruption models to overcome and persevere and make change. This made it very relatable because these are real people.

I also liked the worksheets that were included at the end of the book. I personally didn’t use them but I know there will be plenty of people that could use them. Who knows? Maybe one day I will have a reason to use them so I’m glad they were included.

Thank you to Hatchette Book Group for sending me a copy of this book as part of the James Patterson Street Team!

[Tara Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes the idea of disruption—something most of us dread—and reframes it as a chance to grow, adapt, and thrive. Patterson and Leddin use relatable stories from everyday life and work to show that change doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Instead, it can become an opportunity.

What I liked most is how accessible the advice is. The book blends inspiring narratives with practical steps, making it easy to see how to apply the lessons in real life. And it couldn’t be timelier—given the constant changes in technology, work, and the world, the message of turning disruption into strength feels very relevant.

Overall, Disrupt Everything is a motivational and approachable read. It may not give you highly technical strategies, but it does offer a mindset shift that leaves you feeling ready to face change head-on.

Thank You Little Brown Company for advance copy to read and review.

[Star Shining Forever · Rating 2 out of 5]

This being the book they handed out to attendees of the 2025 Reader Nation event headlined by James Patterson is kinda right up there with the fact that he got COVID and couldn’t attend. In a word or 2: disappointing and hilarious. So funny that the first book I’m actually reading by the famed thriller author is some co-written self-help regurgitation.

If you’re into that sort of thing (I’m not), it’s kinda “Chicken Soup for the Soul” meets an artificially peppy sales conference, while still surface level and repetitive to fill pages.

The ‘Five Roles of a Positive Disrupter’ was cool though:
-Trailblazer: Seek change & act independently
-Firefighter: Seek stability & act independently
-Torchbearer: Seek change & act collaboratively
-Fire Chief: Seek stability & act collaboratively
-Tinder Gatherer: Pursue clarity & provide support

[Tiffany Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Disruption can be scary, but it can also be an agent for positive change. Virtually every company, and virtually every employee from top to bottom, needs to be open to disruption and play a part in positive change. That’s right: Everybody has a part to play.“

This book is the perfect read for anyone who feels their life is stagnant or like they’re in a rut. There’s a lot of really good advice and it’s written well enough that it held my interest. There are a lot of really good ideas to help change your life in a positive way and achieve your goals. I really enjoyed reading all of the personal experiences that are included. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction these days but this was definitely inspiring and worth the read. I could tell that a lot of research was done and I feel like I should read more nonfiction. I used to read a lot of books in this genre and really learned a lot.

I’d like to thank James Patterson, Netgalley, and Little, Brown, & Company for providing me an arc of this book. The contents of my review were not impacted by this.

[Autumn Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a grounded and practical book about disruption, leadership, and personal responsibility. Rather than framing disruption as chaos or constant reinvention, they focus on deliberate, disciplined disruption... habits, assumptions, and behaviors that hold people and organizations back. The emphasis is less on breaking systems for the sake of it and more on identifying what truly needs to change in order to win over the long term.

This is a great read for leaders, managers, and professionals who want to improve how they lead, work, and adapt.

[Zoë Routh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed on this one. I was excited to read Patterson’s perspective on disruption & sadly didn’t see it anywhere really. His voice felt absent & Leddin’s very beige.

What I liked:
Solid model for disruption principles
Good framing stories at beginning of each chapter.

For a book on disruption though it does nothing to disrupt a conventional business book with no breakthrough ideas.

Sad emoji face.

[Norman Snyder · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a pleasant enough read. The language is clear, and the stories uplifting. But I found that it had gaps -- it had stories of how people thought of, and voila! they founded a large organization that affected people positively. But how? What did they actually do, month to month, to disrupt whatever industry they had entered? Unanswered.

Missing that detail, I found that the book had minimal value.

[Vanessa Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not typically the type of book I read, however I found it very interesting. While it is a self help book of sorts it is not your usual one. The way it is written it can be applied to all walks of life. Whether you are a student, teacher, SAHM, LEO, Doctor or Politician you can apply the principles in this book on a daily basis (most of them anyway) and “Disrupt Everything”.

[John H. Parmenter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disrupt Everything

Patterson needs to stick with his fiction and run away from self-help, which he is entirely unqualified to write on. His first example shows quite clearly his lack of credibility when he uses a racist as a poditive example of what he is spewing. Do not bother reading this drivel.

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Start with the tool kit:

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/lan...


Or you may lose yourself in the barrage of inspiring analogies and miss the core content. I finished the audio book and remembered that James Patterson is the world’s best selling author and a few of the example stories.

The tool kit is the key content. Start and end there.

[Nicole Zanella Thren]

I didn't finish it; I got bored and felt it wasn't speaking to me personally but for those that like motivational self-help books, you'd probably like it.

[Stephen F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This is the first Patterson book ever read and it was enjoyable. There are some great nuggets between the covers.

[Amber Field · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute self-help slop. Burn or recycle your copy and move on.

[Endrit Nikqi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I received a DRC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
“Disruption is the most powerful force of change in our lifetime.
Every day we are confronted with…
…sudden pivots at our workplace and in the job market
…rule-changing technology such as Artificial Intelligence.
…unexpected crises and a culture of chaos.
…the sinking feeling that we are losing control of our lives. This is the book about taking back control.
It’s easy to follow and easy to turn into lifelong habits.
It has been thoroughly researched and examined.
Simply put, Disrupt Everything works.

One question.
Are you ready to Disrupt Everything and take control of your future?”

“Disrupt Everything is a fantastic book that shows why disruption in life is important. I love how the book shows multiple people’s lives as they dealt with disruptions. This book will help people find out what they want to be and how to deal with the disruptions that come with life. I would highly recommend this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theme Song: Ready for Change (The Disruptor) by WAR*HALL

[Marcus Silver · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not one of my favorites. I will take Simon Sinek, Mel Robins, Brenne Brown, etc. for these particular topics/stories. Not in the wheelhouse for Patterson.