Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work – Porchlight Winner's Guide to Mastering Change and Career Transformation

by Joanne Lipman

The ultimate guide to mastering change and successfully reinventing how you live, work, and lead “Filled with useful ideas for rethinking your next steps.” —Adam Grant The profound disruptions of recent years have sparked a collective reckoning. We reprioritized our lives, and reordered how we envisioned the future. Businesses were forced to pivot, while leaders scrambled to rethink their roles. There has been an unprecedented global reset. But in truth, almost everyone goes through this kind of reappraisal at least once in their life—and probably more often than that. Whatever the catalyst, it prompts in us the urgent need to pivot, to ask the What’s next—and how do I get there? In Next! , bestselling author and journalist Joanne Lipman distills hundreds of personal interviews along with the latest scientific research to answer just this question. Through irresistible storytelling, she takes us inside successful career reinventions (ad executive to bestselling novelist; stay-at-home mom to CEO) and astonishing business transformations (wait until you hear what Play-Doh and Viagra have in common). From the laboratories of neuroscientists to the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies, to the frontlines of the social justice movement, Lipman explores how and why these transformations succeed. At its heart, Next! offers a thrilling by harnessing the science and understanding the process, we can better understand how to reinvent that new career, change the direction of our lives, or inspire innovation in our organizations. This book provides a toolkit that shows how to make meaningful transitions—large or small—and to figure out for ourselves what’s Next!

Genres: Business, Self Help, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Personal Development, Leadership

352 pages, Hardcover

Published March 21, 2023

About the author

Award-winning journalist Joanne Lipman is author of the No. 1 bestseller THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID and NEXT! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work. She is also a Yale University lecturer and CNBC on-air contributor.

Previously, Lipman served as editor in chief of USA Today, USA Today Network, Conde Nast Portfolio, and the Wall Street Journal Weekend, leading those organizations to a combined six Pulitzer Prizes.

At Gannett, where she was also chief content officer, Lipman led USA Today plus 109 local newspapers including the Detroit Free Press, the Des Moines Register, and the Arizona Republic. In that role, she oversaw more than 3,000 journalists and led the organization to three Pulitzer Prizes.

Lipman began her career as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, ultimately rising to deputy managing editor – the first woman to attain that post – and supervising coverage that won three Pulitzer Prizes.

Lipman is a frequent public speaker and has appeared as a television commentator on ABC, NBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and PBS. Her work has been published in outlets including The New York Times, Time, Newsweek and the Harvard Business Review. She is co-author, with Melanie Kupchynsky, of the acclaimed music memoir “Strings Attached.”

A winner of the Matrix Award for women in communications, Lipman serves or has served on the Yale University Council, the boards of the Knights Orchestra, the World Editors Forum, and the advisory boards of Breastcancer.org and the Yale School of Music. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. and She and her husband live in New York City and are the parents of two grown children.

= Yale grad, mom of two, lapsed viola player. For more, please visit JoanneLipman.com

Reviews

[AnnieM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read other books by Joanne Lipman and found them to be insightful. I had high expectations for this book which is subtitled "Power of Reinvention in Life and Work,: but ultimately was a bit disappointed in the lessons in the book. Some of the examples and stories have been told before in other articles and essays (for example how the invention of post-its happened). At first when I was reading it I thought this would be a good book for a friend who just recently got laid off from a leadership position. The first two chapters had some good nuggets about focusing on your passions and things you have done in your "spare time" that might be a bridge to what you could be doing next. But as I continued reading, I realized the majority of the examples are about famous and/or rich people who made a pivot (except for one notable example of someone who lost it all and had to rebuild -- that was an interesting and compelling story). The rich and/or famous stories were interesting but made the book not as easily applicable to people who don't have the financial means to just pivot. I also did not find the tips at the end of the book to be that insightful and helpful. Some interesting stories to read but not as helpful for the average person seeking to reinvent themselves.
Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for an ARC and I left an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recently, I was griping to a friend about how I was reading this book and I'd done so little in my life. The friend gathered herself up and said, "But those books aren't written about normal people." She's right. This really isn't. Instead it features people like Jeffery Katzenburg (Disney), Vera Wang and Marie Kondo. The average person can't help but notice that the amazing reinventions listed are almost exclusively giant success stories... which then makes one feel like even more of a failure. If you're a giant success and want to read a book about other rich, talented people, have at it, but this book completely fails to reach, or be appropriate for, the average person.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes books come at the right time onto your life.
A combination of anecdotes and psychological studies about changing direction professionally or personally. Worth a read even if you may have seen some of it before

[Christie Bane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been on a kick lately of reading inspirational books about how anyone can change their lives at any time, and this one is in that category. It’s about people who choose to reinvent themselves, sometimes later in life, sometimes following a trauma, sometimes just completely switching paths at any point in their lives. I love my life and am super satisfied with career and relationships, but still fantasize a lot adding more goals and accomplishments just because that feels SO GOOD. This book is another one that tells me, “Yes, do it! Write another book, set some more athletic goals, win stuff with the dogs. YOU CAN DO IT ALL!” (That’s not actually what this book is saying, but I might just take it that way.)

[Jodi Gallegos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The business world is full of stories of people who made huge shifts in their career track and celebrated massive success. Whether they were following their dreams, a seemingly sudden impulse, or just recognized a new opportunity and veered onto that course, something called to those people enough that they gave up comfort for a chance at something that turned out to be great.
Even in healthcare, I’ve been seeing people who just graduated nursing school decide the medical field isn’t where they want to be. In Next!, Joanne Lipman interviewed people who deprioritized their lives and labors in ways that become legendary to those of us watching from afar.
Lipman not only presents these case studies of these successes, she tries to identify the catalyst and process for change in everyday life and how each of us can be more in tune to those moments.
Next! is an interesting read, and it’s no doubt inspiring to read about people who successfully took a risk. Lipman highlights some key transitional stages that people may be experiencing without realizing it yet, and it’s interesting to be more aware of the subtle shifts that occur. The book is easy to read, definitely interesting, and inspiring.
I didn’t feel like this book prepared me for making a big change or acted as a way to help me achieve them. There wasn’t a big section proclaiming, “These are the actionable steps you should now take in order to change your career path”. This book serves as more of an inspiration to offer increased awareness. Maybe the selection and reading of this book is one more example of an unconscious shift on the path to change?


*I received a copy of Next! from Mariner Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Susan Wilson]

The model didn’t land with me but many of the insights did. The reminders were: (1) use intuition because sometimes overthinking can derail you, (2) be enthusiastically persistent, (3) keeping busy doesn’t work because “aha” moments happen mostly when we stop, (4) it’s how you respond that makes the biggest difference and even trauma can result in immense positive growth, (5) circumstances might create the need to change but as likely you could stay with your current situation and add smaller change steps, and (6) Find and be an “expert companion” who you can be vulnerable with (the expert bit may even just be that they are expert in listening to you). The other thing I will take from the book are the references to a couple of studies around trauma, specifically one after 9-11 and another from 1993 with 94 people who lost a child or partner and 4-7 years later the majority reported at least one positive change and a quarter saying they had a greater appreciation for life. Without undermining the real challenges of PTSD, Lipman explored post-traumatic growth which can overlap or co-exist with PTSD.

[Kimball · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was better than the one that referenced it Not Too Late: The Power of Pushing Limits at Any Age that I just finished. I like that she censored out the f word.

I never heard of the author James Patterson but apparently he's world famous and wrote hundreds of thousands of books while maintaining a day job then he reluctantly became a full time author.

Step 2: the struggle is the most important step in pivoting to your next thing.

Distraction, relaxation, and a positive mood help to cultivate a eureka moment.

Almost half of all trauma survivors experiment Post Traumatic Growth.

[Jan Tell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Wherever you are, is the entry point.” Kabir Das

This is a book of stories about people who have accepted a challenge and figured out how to successfully navigate it. It shows the common threads that bind their stories together and lessons they learned.

The steps for reinvention fit YNAB since YNAB is a mind shift in budgeting:
Search - Struggle - Stop - Solution
At the beginning, take small actions. A reminder to change the parts that don't work and keep the parts that do. Love the process, the struggle. It involves repetition and making small refinements on the road to improvement. Analyze failure, understand why it happened, and figure out how to correct it for the next time around.
Find ways to make the journey enjoyable. I think YNAB does that.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly a typical self improvement book loaded with anecdotes of people who followed their passion and struck it rich.
Delves into the 4 S's.... to get past a nagging problem....Search ( Try on possible selves, listen to your gut, small itarative steps...fill your brain with the info relevant to your problem) Struggle ( bang your head against the wall and not come to any good answers track your failures, speak to and expert conpanion) Stop ( step away...take a walk or a nap or daydream) Solution....(the answer magically appears).
Another section focuses on finding an expert companion or mentor type ...maybe even a long lost aquintance or someone outside your circle to have a different perspective.
Picked this book up while waiting for Good Omens to come in...thinking it would provide food for thought on how to make the most of retirement should I hit that mark in the next 6 years. It met that goal.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you’re contemplating a major change in life, it can be helpful to hear stories of others doing just that for inspiration.

This book offers a lot of examples of people who made major changes in their work and lives. Yes, many are famous and some talk about failures. I appreciated the reinforcement of success not happening overnight. I also appreciated that when one is undertaking change, the right path may not be immediately visible.

I thought the concept of change after trauma was particularly interesting, though wish there had been a bit less graphic detail with the tour guide who was attacked on a hike.

I listened to this book, which is my fave way to take in non-fiction, and hope my brain was working subconsciously on my next while I was listening!

[Laura Skladzinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many people, the last few years have made me question what's important to me in life and whether I ought to change what I'm doing. Lipman's book helps people answer the questions of "what's next, and how do I get there?" by proposing and illustrating a methodology of search/struggle/stop/solution. I found it really helpful to define the phase I'm in, and comforting to realize it's a journey and I didn't need to be further along, and I really enjoyed the stories of other successful pivoters in those phases. This was a light, easy read that will resonate most with those already considering a change, and I highly recommend it.

[Ann Venkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book because like many the pandemic forced me to re-evaluate my life, career and financial goals. If you are feeling restless (or frustrated) with aspects of your life or career and deliberating on what next, then this book is a godsend. The book clearly details a framework to evaluate next steps for a pivot in your life (or career). How much or little should you stretch, what will give you the best odds for success? How can you test run and avoid catastrophic failure?
Glad I chose this book - will be referring it again and again.

[Kelevilin Kimathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Next

Next like the title of book what is your next career next opportunity next challenge..for you to succeed in your next phase of life you need some tips and this is what this book provides. It gives you numerous stories of people who made breakthroughs in fields when they were pursuing different projects. Story of drug to treat angina leading to viagra.story of penicillin
.Also personal stories of transition. A common thread is the stage of struggle which is very instructional if embraced positively. One of best books of year

[Wendy Swallow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing about reading Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work, is discovering that everyone worth their salt has reinvented themselves at least once, if not several times. Whether you’ve lost a job or just finished a long-term project, or feel like you want to pivot to something more meaningful, Next! provides a roadmap and scores of examples to follow for those who want a different life. My favorite piece of advice is trying on “possible selves” and test driving them. This book makes it easier to face change, pull yourself together, and move on to follow your heart.

[Sandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanne Lipman nous partage une série d'histoires et d'anecdotes inspirantes sur les personnalités de ce monde qui ont dû se réinventer pour obtenir le succès qu'iels ont aujourd'hui. Pas de banalité ou de règles générales ou moralisatrices comme on peut parfois en voir des livres de développement personnel: chaque propos est étayé, illustré, soutenu (les pages de sources et références sont nombreuses). La lecture est agréable et me laisse en fascination devant le parcours de recherche et les belles rencontres de l'autrice.

[Benjamine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is primarily filled with anecdotes of people who gradually shifted from one career to another. I had already read several of them in other books or heard about them through podcasts. There are no real guidelines for making a transition. And I have no idea why some sections exist--like the one on trauma. If your are looking for inspiration, then maybe you will find some. I did not. But if you are looking for a "how to" guide, look elsewhere.

[Chrissann Nickel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a highly anecdotal book that reads like a long pep talk - these people did it, and so can you!

Some of the stories connected and inspired, others fell flat. I think everyone will take different things from this book, depending on what resonates with them and where they’re at in their own personal transformation journey.

Overall, I found it reassuring and motivating.

[Shannon Callarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocked that this book didn’t have higher reviews! I loved it. The stories were so interesting. I felt that the advice she gave was both practical and inspiring. Though it’s not new, but I do love how the Search, Struggle, Stop, Solution is weaved throughout the book. I resonated with it a lot and found comfort in understanding where I’m at in my current journey.

[Mike Kanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was billed as a sort of self-help book for people looking to remake their lives, it only covers the first third of the book. The rest consists of cases of people who have remade their lives, why they did it and whether they did so successfully.

Having said that, it was still an interesting read with several insights on shifting your life.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. You'll learn a lot about pivoting and the surprising previous incarnations of people you think you know. A step by step path to reinvention is offered, but the stories of people who transformed their lives is the real draw for me. I learned a lot.

[Jackie Stremlow-Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great book for those looking for a new direction. I loved the anecdotes and conversational writing style that felt more like a TED talk. I will be using several of these tips and ideas as I figure out my next steps.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives us hope that pivots are possible no matter what season of life we may be in currently. An easy well researched read. Worth the time investment to read.

[Madar Rahamut · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well documented journalistic book, but not the "The ultimate guide to mastering change and successfully reinventing how you live, work, and lead"

[Melinda Kline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I may have learned a couple of things. Nothing to write home about though.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had some great anecdotes and good, strong points for each of the steps. It’s a good book for inspiration rather than a step-by-step manual.

[Loretta Alcala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great review of what steps lead to reinvention.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine! I liked the writing, I liked the anecdotes, but the book overall didn't feel that cohesive and I'm not sure the "Next" theme really came through.

[Lydia Vreeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a good read!

[Mee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts helped and some parts made me even more anxious. Many examples are not applicable or realistic.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept, lots of examples, perhaps too many as it got a bit long/repetitive, but had a good and actionable take away message.