Hugh MacLeod’s book Ignore Everybody has just landed.
Not content with giving Lateral Action a terrific interview about his work, Hugh was kind enough to send me an advance copy of the book a few weeks ago – it arrived on Friday afternoon and I didn’t go to bed that night until I’d finished it (as well as an unspecified number of beers).
If you are serious about creativity and making a living from your passion, you need to get this book. It’s also the perfect present for the creative entrepreneur in your life.
It would be worth your while just for the advice it contains – a combination of inspiration and pragmatism, based on Hugh’s years of trial, error and persistence in honing his craft and following his dream.
Here are a few chapter headings, to give you a flavour of the world according to Hugh:
10. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
11. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
12. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
13. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
14. Never compare your inside with somebody else’s outside.
15. Dying young is overrated.
16. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
The book would also be worth your while for the sharp and funny cartoons, like this one:
As you get the philosophy AND the cartoons, it’s a no-brainer.
If you don’t believe me, download the sample chapters for free and see for yourself.
As someone pointed out, the book does contain a bit of swearing. So I guess it’s not for the fainthearted.
But then neither is creativity.
In my professional opinion as a psychotherapist, you’d have to be a crazy deranged fool not to buy it.
As Bob Sutton noted, some people will realize the language is right for the book – in Sutton’s case it was his title. Having spent much of my life as a print journalist the language brought back memories of my peers.
I’ve already devoured Hugh’s book on the plane and one sign that it will be a best-seller is that my seat mate kept looking over my shoulder and laughing. Thank goodness he was also my traveling companion or it would have been irksome. If you have not yet “met” forthright Hugh via his blog or cartoons you will quickly see if you like his path to wisdom and comfort. I’ve creased several pages for a return look.
Some of his theme remind me of a recent Tim Ferriss talk on stoicism and performance: Define your fears instead of your goals …
As an avid Lateral Action fan it makes sense that you, too, enjoyed the book… or was it the beer influence…..?
Actually the book made the beer taste better. 😉
Having read Hugh’s earlier Change This manifesto “How To Be Creative”:
http://www.changethis.com/6.HowToBeCreative
I still preordered “Ignore Everybody”. The text has been revised (there is actually *less* swearing now!) and more cartoons are included. I cannot stress enough how the cartoons are an integral part of Hugh’s message, so more cartoons is more better 🙂
I was lucky enough to get a signed copy from Hugh a couple of weeks ago and am rereading it taking notes right now. And still laughing.