Designing Your Life: Build the Perfect Career, Step by Step

by Bill Burnett, Dave Evans

Paperback

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has little or perhaps no new advice, but it is stated clearly and simply. To find most of the information in this book, one must look no further than You Majored in What? by Kathrine Brooks. From the mind mapping technique to the acceptance of randomness to interviewing people who have your 'dream job', this book pulls the basis for most of its content from Brooks' wonderful book. But who knows? Perhaps the authors had never read her book, and simply came up with the same exact set of ideas, in pretty much the same order.
The authors' main addition to Brooks' work was throwing in some sections on 'work-view' and worldview, both of which are better expressed in the original volumes on these subjects: Making Sense of Your World by W. Gary Philips and Finding a Job You Can Love by Ralph Mattson and Arthur Miller Jr. respectively.
To be plain, this is good content, and the new authors' put it clearly. If the original sources were too difficult to read, or in the case of the works on 'work-view' and worldview, were too 'religious', read this book. But if you have the time, just read each book on each topic. You'll understand it all much more thoroughly.

[Jen Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad I started my year with this book! The idea of designing my life is a different was of thinking about it. I liked seeing a new perspective. I loved learning how designers think and how they solve issues by making sure they're working on the correct problem to begin with. There's tips for job seekers and how to get feedback.

[Rescribo]

"It's only because of a problem that your phone fits perfectly in your hand" They don't sell phones that fit in your hand anymore - just phablet monstrosities. I wish you could still buy a phone that small.

"It has been our experience, in office hour after office hour, that people waste a lot of time working on the wrong problem. If they are lucky, they will fail miserably quickly and get forced by circumstance into working on better problems. If they are unlucky and smart, they'll succeed - we call it the success disaster - and wake up ten years later wondering how the hell they got to wherever they are, and why they are so unhappy."

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy and inspirational read, yet overwhelming at times (rather than helping to give a sense of direction, clarity).
A few good reminders, but nothing really new (in the sea of self-help books).