Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY LIFE? By Po Bronson
I desperately wanted to stop reading this book a hundred pages into it. I thought the book was going to be the compilation of inspiring stories, stories about how people answered the ultimate question – what should I do with my life? Instead, the book is about the author’s perception of himself as the instant personal guru to the 50 plus strangers he meets and interviews for the book. Oh – this book could have been so much more if the author had been able to be more interested in his subjects than he is in himself.
I did manage to wade through the nearly 400 pages of Bronson’s tough love episodes with people he’d just met. In criticizing the book, I don’t mean to demean the stories of the subjects themselves. Many of them are, or would be in the hands of a better writer, truly inspiring. People who gave up money for love, career for purpose, who asked the tough questions, who struggled with their parents’ expectations clashing with their own passion – people like us who just want to wake up every morning with some sort of passion for how we spend our lives. But Bronson doesn’t let any of his subjects tell their own story. He has to beat everyone up with some version of “why are you settling?!” before reminding the reader that he didn’t.
So – in answer to the question “what should I do with my life?” I begin by recommending that you not waste yours reading this book. You’d find more inspiration in any sunrise. Po Bronson’s What Should I Do With My Life? is number 4 on the bestseller list for the 8th week in a row. On the bookbeat for KSL Newsradio 1160, I’m Amanda Dickson.