Interesting book with motivational/encouraging stories of others were able to reinvent themselves and scientific insights which are a good refresher on things we may already know about self-care.

I thought this book was pretty great, but none of it was brand new information. Lipman's guide to personal metamorphosis offers practical strategies for finding passion-sparking vocations, even in middle age or later. She emphasizes the importance of savvy, creativity, mentorship, risk-taking, patience, and luck in finding a fulfilling career. The "Search-Struggle-Stop-Solution" approach allows for a gradual transition, with failures serving as a springboard for future achievements. This optimistic and well-researched guide appeals to those motivated to try something new and daring.

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.

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.

This book builds on the insights of neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, management theory, and data science to understand how transformations take effect in our life. Defining each stage in the transformation journey as the search, the struggle, the stop, and the solution, we learn about the vital components that make up each of these steps. The author promises that this book is for you if you’re thinking of switching careers, are picking up a passion dropped years ago, or are simply facing everyday life changes.

The search asks us to just imagine changing one element of our lives, whether that be our job, our location, our partner, whatever it may be, and embrace the possibility of a new dimension to our character. This, to me, is the scariest ask of yourself because it is a lot to consider and given the weight of everyday life, is it something you want to consider? Even if it is just an exercise in imagination, it is still a scary thought to process, and the question(s) that it brings forth. Knowing who you are is a wonderful thing, but knowing who you’ll become is another level of insight that not many can easily foresee

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*

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.

Such an interesting book at a unique time. Many people have been forced to pivot in one respect or another over the past few years. Knowing when and how to pivot do not always come easily. Next! Is a useful and encouraging book that helps the reader explore how to get to a reimagined career destination and navigate the transitions along the way.

Ruts are so easy to get into but so difficult to get out of . Fortunately, there are books like this that help readers realize that they are capable of so much more.