Art Of Non-conformity

Chris Guillebeau

Description

Chris Guillebeau shot to fame when he published a report on his blog called 'A Brief Guide to World Domination'. Within weeks, it was downloaded more than 100,000 times in over 60 countries, written about in the New York Times and endorsed by Seth Godin. It outlined a plan to 'take over the world' by doing what is most meaningful whilst helping others in unique way. The Art of Non-Conformity expands upon the gutsy ideas first introduced in Guillebeau's blog, focusing on three areas: life, work and travel.

Sujets

• Popular psychology
• Self-help

Informations

• Publié par: Turnaround Books
• Date de parution: 25 août 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781873262771
• Langue: English

Extrait

Extraordinary Praise for
The Art of Non- Conformity
“This is a direct, honest, and truly scary book. I hope you have the guts to listen to what Chris has to say, and not become one of the monkeys he warns you about.”
— Seth Godin, author of Linchpin
“Chris Guillebeau is the Indiana Jones of career experts. With his signature insight and humor, he tackles a critical question: How do we forge the life of our dreams in the face of overwhelming pressure to conform and avoid risks? Chris adds a fresh perspective, drawn from his non- conforming adventures, to the lively debate.”
— Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project
“The Art of Non- Conformity is like a lightning bolt to the head. Read it and your brain will spark and sizzle.”
— Neil Pasricha, author of The Book of Awesome
“Some people are content to report on others’ success. Not Chris. He lives and breathes what others dare to dream, pushes the envelope of possibility, then shares his experiences, lessons, tools, ideas, and strategies in a way that makes it all seem not just doable . . . but imperative. Go! Read this book now!”
— Jonathan Fields, author of Career Renegade
“The conventional world order has blown up, much to the relief of students, cubicle dwellers, artists, and activists who knew there was a better way. Th is brilliant book will wake you up and inspire you as it guides you to create a new life on your own terms.”
— Pamela Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation
“Chris Guillebeau’s delightfully rebellious book teaches us how to live with gusto and bring excitement into our lives. His encouraging and witty tone will inspire even the least courageous person to make bold steps. I love this book!”
— Barbara Sher, author of I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was
“Here’s the way to find your own path, set your own rules, and find your own purpose— and all with courage and grace, resilience and style.”
— Michael Bungay Stanier, author of Do More Great Work
“Chris Guillebeau is an inspiration. Many people talk about living their dreams, and here’s a person who has actually done it. He derives valuable life lessons from all of his experiences, and we have been privileged to go along for the ride.”
— Alexandra Levit, author of New Job, New You
“The Art of Non- Conformity is not just a book; it’s a beloved companion for those who know that life is an adventure worth exploring. And it’s hard to imagine a better adventure guide than Chris Guillebeau.”
— Barbara J. Winter, author of Making a Living Without a Job







First published in Great Britain in 2011 by TURNAROUND
Unit 3, Olympia Trading Estate, Coburg Road,
London N22 6TZ
www.turnaround-uk.com
First published in the US by Perigee, a member of the Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Text Copyright © Chris Guillebeau 2010
All rights reserved.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of the book.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publishers is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication.
Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ePub Edition. ISBN 978-1-87326-277-1
Kindle Edition. ISBN 978-1-87326-278-8
Paperback Edition. ISBN 978-1-87326-276-4




To Jolie, my partner in world domination and life



Contents
THE ROAD AHEAD
PROLOGUE
Part I : The Remarkable Life
Chapter 1 : Sleepwalkers and the Living World
Chapter 2 : Setting the Terms of Your Unconventional Life
Chapter 3 : Smashing Through the Brick Wall of Fear
Chapter 4 : How to Fight Authority and Win
Part II : Reclaiming Work
Chapter 5 : Competence Is Your Security
Chapter 6 : Graduate School vs. the Blogosphere
Chapter 7 : The Power of Your Own Small Army
Chapter 8 : The Personal Finance Journey
Part III : The Power of Convergence
Chapter 9 : Radical Exclusion and the Quest for Abundance
Chapter 10 : Contrarian Adventures
Chapter 11 : Your Legacy Starts Now
Conclusion : Dangerous Ideas
POSTSCRIPT : THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
GRATITUDE
PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARITY: WATER AND ETHIOPIA
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ONLINE RESOURCES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR



THE ROAD AHEAD
Prologue
PART I: THE REMARKABLE LIFE
1. Sleepwalkers and the Living World
The $32,000 lesson.
11 ways to be unremarkably average.
The caged monkeys and the clear alternative.
By itself, money has no value.
“Come back when you’re ready to wake up.”
2. Setting the Terms of Your Unconventional Life
Quitting your job to ride a bicycle across the country.
Three days of margaritas and detox is enough.
Giving up the lottery fantasy.
Your life list, your ideal world, goal-setting, and serendipity.
How our lives are connected with others.
3. Smashing Through the Brick Wall of Fear
From Pittsburgh to the trash heaps of Manila.
The myth of fearlessness.
The great apartment disaster of 2008.
“This car will not take me where I want to go in life.”
On leaping and the sudden appearance of nets.
When next in Warsaw, make sure you have a ticket home from Tokyo.
4. How to Fight Authority and Win
Facing down ExxonMobil and the Utah attorney general.
Wisdom from Keith Richards.
Marginalization and the Department of No.
Foiling gatekeepers, parts 1 and 2.
David, Goliath, and Gladwell: deploying the unconventional strategy.
Morality and the law.
Interlude: All the Things You Don’t Need
PART II: RECLAIMING WORK
5. Competence Is Your Security
Pizza delivery and making money in the recession.
The $100 business.
How to hire a boss instead of apply for a job.
Confessions of a renegade entrepreneur.
Don’t just escape from something, escape to something.
6. Graduate School vs. the Blogosphere
The way around that pesky maximum-credit-hours requirement.
“First disarmament, then clean water, then standardized testing.”
Writing for three readers or writing for 100,000 readers.
The one-year, self-directed, alternative graduate program.
7. The Power of Your Own Small Army
Seventeen years on a hospital ship.
Who are your followers?
Recruit, train, reward, deploy.
The strength of weak ties.
Start your own public radio station with 1,000 fans.
8. The Personal Finance Journey
How to declare war on debt.
Skipping the $2 bus and buying a $4,000 plane ticket.
Time is not money!
Deferred gratification and life avoidance.
Using the power of your purse to help others.
An interesting note from “dog food man.”
Interlude: What They Say About Winners
PART III: THE POWER OF CONVERGENCE
9. Radical Exclusion and the Quest for Abundance
Haruki Murakami and the indispensable relationship.
Convergence.
Decluttering and the to-stop-doing list.
The 4,440 minutes, or how to gain four to five extra hours a day.
Avoiding the paradox of minimalism and adventure.
10. Contrarian Adventures
A nomadic education.
Dunkin’ Donuts appears on the Lebanese border.
Reflections on being evicted from a Mongolian guesthouse at midnight.
Travel hacking basics: 600,000 frequent fl yer miles, CouchSurfing, FlyerTalk, et al.
11. Your Legacy Starts Now
The danger of glory days.
Tracking your legacy with a stopwatch.
Measure work in output, not hours.
The 1,000 words standard.
Process and destination, not one or the other.
Conclusion: Dangerous Ideas
Changing the world is always practical.
“Men wanted for Hazardous Journey.”
Code words for marginalization.
The opposite of luck.
What’s your dangerous idea?
Postscript: The Most Important Thing
Gratitude
Partnership with Charity: Water and Ethiopia
Frequently Asked Questions
Online Resources



PROLOGUE
When you were a kid and wanted to do something your parents or teachers didn’t like, you may have heard the question “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?” The idea is that it’s not good to do something stupid, even if everyone else is doing it. The logic is, Think for yourself instead of following the crowd.
It’s not bad advice, even if it’s sometimes used to exert control more