Book Response: The Art of Non Conformity
This is the first of what I hope to be many "book responses". I believe reading books is a significant component of success, and when I read a book I like, I'd like to tell you about it. I don't want to call it a "book review" because I won't tell you about books I didn't like...
Anyway, here is the first.
The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World**
by Chris Guillebeau, 2010
** This is an affiliate link. I bought this book on my own, but if you click this link and end up buying it, I get a portion of the sale as a referral.
WHEN to read this book:
- When you're feeling down about your career options and wondering 'is this all there is to life?'
- When you're getting ready to make a big, daring decision and need a pep-talk
SUMMARY:
"You don't have to live your life the way other people expect you to..." --Chris Guillebeau - the Art of Non Conformity p. 14
At 163pp, The Art of Non Conformity is concise and to-the-point, there's hardly any fluff.
It's divided into three parts:
- The Remarkable Life (seeking happiness, and why you should look to alternative paths)
- Reclaiming Work (Why the goal is finding the right work instead of finding your way OUT of work, evaluating higher education and personal finance)
- Convergence (seeking balance and leaving behind a legacy.)
WHAT you'll get out of it:
I first read the Art of Non Conformity last year shortly after its release. I had become an avid reader of Chris' excellent blog and I knew the book would be worthwhile. I even stopped in on his unconventional book tour when it came through Vancouver!
Earlier, I had read the "4 hour workweek", which was filled with daring, interesting ideas... but it left a bad taste in my mouth. The Art of Non Conformity is the antidote. It is also filled with challenging ideas about living a different type of life than what is expected of you, but instead of 4HWW's selfish, borderline-sneaky tactics, Chris advocates generosity and hard work as the path to happiness.
The book is tremendously inspirational. Chris himself has lead a remarkable life so far (his goal is to visit every single country by the time he's 35) but he also brings in stories of others as case studies which really helps to balance out the content. The beginning of the book has your standard life-planning stuff (including a version of the Ideal Day and Bucket list... nothing earth-shattering for people like me who read a lot of similar books) but Chris' focus on generosity and working on your legacy NOW rather than later is what truly sets this book apart.
"In the end, it's not all about you. Most of us want a life that leaves a positive impact on others." -- Chris Guillebeau, The Art of Non Conformity p. 37
The core premise of the book is that society has rules that aim to dictate what we can and cannot do with our lives, and how we should try to pursue happiness. There isn't always a good reason for these rules... the world changes quickly but the cultural norms never seem to get updated. Chris lays out some good reasons to walk a different path, and also has some solid advice for dealing with people and systems that often stand in the way.
"Unreasonable, unrealistic and imprctical are all words used to margianalize a person or idea that fails to conform with conventionally expected standards." -- Chris Guillebeau - the Art of Non Conformity - p. 145
What I like best about the book is that Chris isn't crazy. A lot of other books that have similar premises read like a bad sales pitch. "Change your life! Throw out the rules! You're an IDIOT if you don't!" Chris' arguments are calm and downright rational. He challenges your existing thought patterns in a way that really does make you pause and consider.
Where the book falls down:
Chris is someone who has lived an amazing life but he seems to be hard-wired to have a higher risk-tolerance than most people. He does a lot to alleviate traditional fears, but Chris hasn't walked a traditional path since he left high school (early). So, it's hard for someone like me who is deeply entrenched in a traditional life-path to even dream of such a drastic alternative. Pamela Slim's book "Escape from Cubicle Nation"** approaches the same idea from the other side, but I always felt her book didn't quite go far enough. For that reason if you're a born and bred traditionalist looking to break thought patterns, it's useful to read both the Art of Non Conformity and Escape from Cubicle Nation, they present different perspectives on similar problems.
The Art of Non Conformity is highly actionable and tactical, but it won't give you specific tips and resources. I point this out because a lot of people do prefer to have books with very specific scripts for action, but the way the book is formatted gives it a much broader application, and I like that.
BOTTOM LINE
This book is easy to recommend. A lot of dreams get defeated early on and Chris makes a very strong case for stopping to ask yourself why and looking for other paths than the straight-line option.
Please let me know what you think of my first-ever book response! I'm hoping to write more and mix them in with the regular type of posts because I've read a LOT of books and I often find them quite helpful.