The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World by Chris Guillebeau

Aug 05, 2011 Jacob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are essentially two premises here 1) If you don't want a corporate career or work for other people, a college degree is mostly irrelevant (this is largely true). 2) If you can provide ongoing value for a "small army" of 1000 hardcore fans who'll keep buying everything you do/sell, you can make a living from it.

Keep in mind that finding and keeping 1000 hardcore fans is incredibly hard and not easily reproducible! It requires more sustained determination than most people can muster.

Anyway,...more

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Mar 10, 2013 David rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: business

This is the worst book of its kind that I've ever read. It would take an entire book to say just how bad this book is. A few of his pieces of advice include "succeed at self-employment by any means necessary," which basically means do whatever to whoever, but don't ever work for The Man because he's an evil soul-sucking creep. Uh, really? I paid money for you to tell me that? Another gem is to do like he did, drop out of high school, have a high IQ, cheat your way through a college degree, and a...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Sarah Hubbell rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 01, 2011 Christopher Bergeron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book for the library and it was promptly checked out by one of my heavy readers. She started to read the book and before she was even through the introduction she was writing quotes from the book on her hand.

She was kind enough to leave the book with me for a bit and I burned through the book in short order. I too found myself taking down quote after quote from the book (mine going into my notebook). It was a book that both described his journey and gave inspiration and practical a...more

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May 17, 2013 Claire rated it 2 of 5 stars

The subtitle of this book is “set your own rules, live the life you want and change the world.” So, you may be surprised to learn that such a all-encompassing subject is covered in just 227 pages. Guillebeau has never really had a “proper” job, he has worked quite a few jobs that sound pretty terrible, volunteered in Africa for four years, and then become an entrepreneur. He spends quite a lot of time convincing the reader about the advantages of becoming an entrepreneur, talking about his own t...more The subtitle of this book is “set your own rules, live the life you want and change the world.” So, you may be surprised to learn that such a all-encompassing subject is covered in just 227 pages. Guillebeau has never really had a “proper” job, he has worked quite a few jobs that sound pretty terrible, volunteered in Africa for four years, and then become an entrepreneur. He spends quite a lot of time convincing the reader about the advantages of becoming an entrepreneur, talking about his own travels and shooting down any paltry excuses he has heard as to why this lifestyle cannot be lived.

I agree with Guillebeau on many things. He raises excellent points about the value of money and how much of it you might really need. He makes several short and snappy lists to focus your thinking on your goal and how to get it. He grumbles about how much time many people spend on “busywork” or filling in the time they must be at their desks with pointless tasks. He does not place a huge value on college. He puts focus on experiences rather than things.

Personally, I gave up a very cushy job with a high salary and excellent prospects to move to another country and bum around a bit, spending very little money, running a small and fulfilling business and generally waiting around to see what life will throw at me next. I like my life. My bible in this lovely comfortable lifestyle has been Tim Ferriss' “Four Hour Work Week” which I found quite a lot more useful than this one. He covers a lot of the same stuff but with lots more practical advice and a lot less showing off about how many countries he has visited.

He points out that “by itself, money has no value,” well-put and completely true. I disagree with him on savings and security, there is no way I would have given up my job if I did not have some investments to make me feel safe. But then, not everyone is lucky enough to have been in my position before they have the realisation that sitting in an office, moving numbers around on a computer, with many people whom you would not choose to spend time with, is an insane way to spend such a large portion of your life.

I read this as a sort of refresher on the philosophy in general, looking for a few new ideas, and to generally re-focus. It has done this for me, and I was able to skirt over quite a bit of it, because I have already got there on my own. I find the tone a little patronising, with the assumption that the reader has never had any of these ideas themselves, let alone has acted on any of it. I think he is right on many issues, though, and if you have ever wondered if there's a little more to life than the nine-to-five then I recommend that you give this a read and then go away and have a very long think.

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Feb 23, 2013 Eden rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wouldn't recommend this book for those who really want to lead an unconventional life. In fact, I think it's more for rather conventional people who want to live just *slightly* more unconventionally, but retaining most of the conveniences and privileges that they're already accustomed to. Perhaps the book could be helpful in that context, though.

I'm not a fan of Chris Guillebeau's work, in general. If one truly is a non-conformist, I feel that one wouldn't need to write books blatantly procla...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Chung Chin rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is a good jolt for people who have chosen to live routinely and accepted status quo as the norm. Not that living routinely or accepting status quo is anything bad, but if you have been living routinely and accepting status quo as a compromise and you are not happy about it, then there is definitely something wrong. This book offers you some inspiration and motivate you to live your life, not the way people expect you to, but the way you would want it to.

One of the more repeated phrases in the...more

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Mar 02, 2011 James Biskey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Chris is a guy who lived a conventional life, then realized he wanted to live differently and made it happen. In this book, he questions many assumptions we unconsciously hold about education, credibility, and influence, and gives workable alternatives that have worked for him in his own life. The chapter that spoke to me the most was his suggestion for a low-cost alternative to graduate school that includes rigorous independent study, global travel, work experience, networking opportunities and...more

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Feb 17, 2011 FreshGrads .Sg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Especially in Asian countries such as Singapore and Japan, we tend to conform to the mainstream crowd – even if it makes us unhappy, it feels safe. But The Art of Non-Conformity, by popular blogger Chris Guillebeau, urges and inspires us to set your own rules, live the life you want and change the world instead.

The Art of Non-Conformity is more of a self-improvement book though several of the advice dispensed would apply for the working adult as well. It is divided into three sections, The Remar...more Especially in Asian countries such as Singapore and Japan, we tend to conform to the mainstream crowd – even if it makes us unhappy, it feels safe. But The Art of Non-Conformity, by popular blogger Chris Guillebeau, urges and inspires us to set your own rules, live the life you want and change the world instead.

The Art of Non-Conformity is more of a self-improvement book though several of the advice dispensed would apply for the working adult as well. It is divided into three sections, The Remarkable Life; Reclaiming the Work; and The Power of Convergence.

He starts off by encouraging us to overcome the fear of going against conformity: "Most remarkable people are not remarkable by nature. Instead, they make a few key choices along the way that helped them overcome their fears."

Rather than being miserable living the ideal lives of others, he wants us to get comfortable with being different from others, set your own rules and stay true to our own honest purpose.

The first step, however, is often the hardest for most: Find out what you want, then plan how to get it. The second would naturally be motivated by a clear goal: Work hard for your success.

Guillebeau's own non-conformity and creative perspective can be observed from his explanation of why we should prioritise and focus rather than trying everything all at once: "An important principle of life planning is that you can have anything you want, but you can't have everything at the same time. To be able to devote most of your time to projects and activities you enjoy, you'll need to be forceful about dropping a lot of other activities. The best way to stop spending time on unnecessary distractions is to make a "to-stop-doing list". This is better than a to-do list, because it helps you see what's bringing you down."

Also, rather than telling you what you should or should not do, The Art of Non-Conformity guides and encourages you with questions and words of wisdom so that you may set your own rules. The wise man said (a little harshly): "No one else can be responsible for your success or well-being but you. You don't need someone's permission to live your own life."

Not every piece of advice would be applicable for all of us, especially those with family burdens, and some advice may even be considered cliched. But nonetheless, The Art of Non-Conformity offers some true, practical advice for purposeful living.

For more book reviews, visit FreshGrads Reads. We also do reviews on food, movies and more in Singapore. Check us out here! (less)

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Dec 18, 2010 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

Round-the-world travel aficionado and blogger Chris Guillebeau has written a book that condenses a lot of the ideas presented on his blog. Though I received a free copy of the book (Thank you, Chris), I have mixed feelings about it.

If you're familiar with Chris's website and message of unconventional living (live the life you want, not the one you feel you're supposed to, and don't be afraid to pursue it in unconventional ways), I'd skip the first chapter. It was a turn-off for me for 3 reasons:...more

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Dec 17, 2010 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really helpful book for me for a jumpstart.
Figure out your dream.
Figure out your work.
Convergence power -- combine your dream and your work. Don't settle for non-meaningful work.

Open to new ideas. Dissatisfied with the status quo. Willing to take personal responsibility. Willing to work hard.
Chart a path for yourself. Overcome fear and insecurity and criticism from gatekeepers.

Goal-setting. One year, five years, lifetime goals.

Acknowledge your fear. Go public, create accountability for yoursel...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Akhila rated it 2 of 5 stars

While I thought this was an interesting book, it didn't provide many new insights or helpful tips for me. Perhaps the life Chris Guillebeau lived is simply not the same as the life I hope to lead. Since I'm not looking to travel for the sake of travel or start a business or live a "location independent" life, most of the things he talks about in his book didn't really help me too much. I am looking to lead a life of passion by working with non-profits on access to justice, and human/legal rights...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Harkinna rated it 4 of 5 stars

“It is not the decision you make that is the most important; it is the degree of commitment with which you make the decision.” (Quoting Beau Bartlett.)

This book is very similar to the 4-hour Work Week guy’s book: instructions on how to start living the life you want to live. He admittedly takes his blog posts and rework/reorganizes the posts into a book, but it works. The book is good and offers a lot with respect to realizing your dreams.

“Whatever your dreams are, start taking them very, very...more “It is not the decision you make that is the most important; it is the degree of commitment with which you make the decision.” (Quoting Beau Bartlett.)

This book is very similar to the 4-hour Work Week guy’s book: instructions on how to start living the life you want to live. He admittedly takes his blog posts and rework/reorganizes the posts into a book, but it works. The book is good and offers a lot with respect to realizing your dreams.

“Whatever your dreams are, start taking them very, very seriously.” (Quoting Barbara Sher, in Wishcraft) I like this idea. Take your dreams seriously, no one else is going to do that.

Somewhere we developed a dichotomy between dreams and reality, making them mutuality exclusive. If you are in a dream, you are by definition not in reality. So how does someone go about starting to live in a dream world? One aspect that keeps me from living my dream is that it seems really selfish and self-centered. My dream is to be a writer, but how does that help anyone? How does that make the world a better place? Which then spirals into the rabbit hole of doom. Guillebeau acknowledges this problem and tackles it straight: just help people. It makes you feel better and the world a better place. Worry about the rest later. Ok.

One thing that drives me crazy is when they tell me they “wish” they could do something I have done. They can/could. I like what Guillebeau says when people say this to him: “They have chosen to prioritize other things above their stated desires.” Priorities. As my friend Maureen points out: life is just a bunch of choices. Make good choices, get good outcomes. Thus if you prioritize the things you really want, those are what you will get. (Naturally, bad luck and illness can get in the way. I don’t deny this.)

Towards the end of the book he advocates a “Top Stop Doing List” rather than a “To Do List.” The idea behind this is that here are lots of things that cut into our time. Cut those things out of your life to achieve the live you want. I would put commuting on our list of things we stopped doing. Of course we have to get to work, but instead of spending an hour in the car every day, we live where we work. Some of you will say this is impossible or impractical. I understand that is what that means is you have chosen to prioritize other things over not commuting. We have not. That is fine. :)

The book concludes with travel tips. He likes to travel a lot.

One criticism I have of the book happens to be a constant topic of conversation in our home: being a non-conformist is hard. It takes a lot of energy to buck the culture you live in. I don't think he really give the difficulty enough discussion. More on this later though.

Even if it just a restatement of his blog posts, I really liked the book. Lots of life affirming tips to help you lead the life you want.(less)

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May 23, 2011 Rob Warner rated it 5 of 5 stars

As someone who's adhered to rules for most of my life with a fervor rivaling Felix Unger's, I find someone who flouts the rules fascinating. While I find many of Guillebeau's choices too far out there, too impractical, or ridiculously absurd, my own choices haven't exactly dropped me in Xanadu. I guess I'm in the self-examination phase of life, and I appreciate the questions and challenges that this book brings.

The crux of the book, as I read it, is to do everything on purpose, because you choos...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Valerie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I like the cover design and title, but that's about it.

The author is awfully smug as he looks back at his unconventional choices. He quit high school. He noticed he could get passing grades in community college without really trying so signed up for as many classes as he could. Now he proclaims that most of college is busywork and he didn't learn much of anything (not surprising given his strategy). He quit a FedEx job when he couldn't get there in a snowstorm. And finally he became depressed af...more I like the cover design and title, but that's about it.

The author is awfully smug as he looks back at his unconventional choices. He quit high school. He noticed he could get passing grades in community college without really trying so signed up for as many classes as he could. Now he proclaims that most of college is busywork and he didn't learn much of anything (not surprising given his strategy). He quit a FedEx job when he couldn't get there in a snowstorm. And finally he became depressed after 9/11 (he mentions he was downtown a few days before but not sure why this is relevant) and so he moved to Africa. And somehow he turned out okay! Better than okay! So you will too!

To me, this sounds like the process of growing up and is not too remarkable. He is very scornful of paths that did not work for him, especially all forms of traditional schooling.

Anyone who disagrees with him is sleepwalking through life, content with the status quo, not living up to their potential.

Okay, so his tone really rubbed me the wrong way from the start, but I tried to keep an open mind. I want to set my own rules, live the life I want, and change the world! That's the subtitle. But this wasn't a practical guide (let's start with - how do you figure out what you want?) or even inspiring (how hard is it to find incredible examples of people who chose the road less traveled and did remarkable things?).

Halfway through I realized Chris is part of the Life Remix network and I probably heard about this book from one of the partner blogs (Zen Habits, The Happiness Project, Get Rich Slowly, etc). I used to have many of these added to my GoogleReader, but I have dropped them one by one over the years. Each writer is a self-declared expert in his/her field, but has no formal training. They tend to run out of material after a while, so repeat themselves a lot and endlessly self-promote.

Chris outlines these self-promotion strategies in his chapter "The Power of Your Own Small Army" so I wonder if this is advice provided by LifeRemix or if they just pick it up from one another. It is annoying for regular readers. I've chosen to ignore it for the good writers (Gretchen Rubin at The Happiness Project), but have dropped the rest from my regular reading.

But since I disagree, I'm sure I'm just another one of those sleepwalkers.(less)

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Sep 15, 2010 Lewis Manalo rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't want to dissuade anyone from reading this book because it can be very inspiring; however, as one reads further into the book, it becomes apparent that this is mostly just a handbook on how to be the author.

Most of the support from Guillebeau's assertions come from his own experience or the experiences of other bloggers. Furthermore, he often fails to cite sources for statistics. Though the book is peppered with quotes (often without citing sources) from the likes of Einstein and Thoreau...more

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May 21, 2013 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

This book could be really useful if you want to be a full-time blogger who's life goal is to visit every country. If not, then it's probably not for you.

I was disappointed that Guillebeau's "non-conformity" was so basic and one-dimensional, and would have really liked to see a broader cross-section of styles of living (along the lines of Po Bronson). I was turned off by his contempt for higher education, even though I share many of his criticisms. I was a bit bored by the lack of anecdotes that...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Sean M. Madden rated it 4 of 5 stars

Despite having lived out much (perhaps all) of my life as a non-conformist — having been self-employed since 1995, in search of personal freedom rather than material riches, and having been living nomadically with my partner Mufidah throughout the past year — I found Chris's book a worthwhile read. Nothing earth-shatteringly new, but simple reminders aplenty which I'm sure would be helpful, too, for folk who are considering such things for the first time.

I didn't seek the book out. Rather, it wa...more Despite having lived out much (perhaps all) of my life as a non-conformist — having been self-employed since 1995, in search of personal freedom rather than material riches, and having been living nomadically with my partner Mufidah throughout the past year — I found Chris's book a worthwhile read. Nothing earth-shatteringly new, but simple reminders aplenty which I'm sure would be helpful, too, for folk who are considering such things for the first time.

I didn't seek the book out. Rather, it was given to me a week ago by a friend of a friend, both of whom I found sitting on a bench in Lewes, East Sussex last Monday afternoon while I was putting leaflets about town for my then-upcoming writing workshop, the very pursuit of which, as my primary means of earning a living the past several years, is unconventional.

Yet, not unconventional enough as it still requires the selling of my time — as Chris and I both know is not the ideal way to earn a living independent of place, my long-held holy grail.

But perhaps more helpful than Chris's book was the fact that my friend, a 60-year-old man, and his friend of fifteen years, an attractive woman in her mid-30s, were fruitfully frittering away their afternoon sitting on a bench, talking about such foundational things as art, music, travel, self-employment and teaching. I interrupted what I was doing to join them, and to bask in their like-minded company.

Debs's mention of a book which she'd recently loaned to Athol, and Athol's on-cue pulling out of his bag that very book, along with casual mention that he had brought it along that day to return to her, and Debs's taking possession of the book just long enough to loan, or give, it to me, not being bothered about whether I returned it or not, seeing that it might speak to me — all these things smack of a life lived without conforming to society's mores. We were, each of us, working-age folk — in our 30s, 40s and 50s (Athol turning 60 this past week) — who had, or rather, took time during our Monday afternoon to share conversation about such things as how to live simply.

I finished the book last night, and handed it over to Mufidah who's now reading it.

As an Amazon reviewer noted about The Art of Non-Conformity, or rather about Chris himself, while he (the reviewer) found the book useful and has recommended it to many others as a helpful guide, he is also saddened that Chris isn't more unconventional, that he seems rather naive concerning the societal conventions which he seems hell-bent on bucking. I, too, would have preferred a much more radical take on the art of non-conformity. That said, the book has its place.(less)

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Jan 22, 2011 texast rated it 3 of 5 stars

Because this book is short and a fast read, I recommend it if you have a free afternoon. If you already read Chris' blog, you are unlikely to learn anything new. His message can be boiled down to this: don't follow the rules in life; find your own alternative way of doing things and lead a remarkable life.

It's a great message, but it's unfortunate that the entire book is made up of his own personal experiences and those of others who are very similar to him. I feel I have a clear understanding n...more

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Jan 17, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Guillebeau himself clearly states that this book isn't for everyone. If you're someone unwilling to take risks or chances then it's certainly not worth your time.

But, if you're someone who feels that your life is lacking and you're searching for ways to find more fulfillment, less "constraint", more autonomy, then it's a good book to read.

Guillebeau gives the reader the basic foundation of how you can possibly start making those things happen in your life. He describes ways to become an entrapr...more

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Oct 30, 2010 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: life, inspiration

"Have you ever heard that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission? This is completely true, but there's even more good news: there are very few things you need to ask forgiveness or permission for." -p. 18

I follow Chris's blog and get a lot of inspiration from it. This book is basically the blog distilled and put into an exhortation/how-to manual. It's an engaging, quick read, and increased my desire to break out of my ordinary life and be my own boss. In fact, it's taking me way longer t...more "Have you ever heard that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission? This is completely true, but there's even more good news: there are very few things you need to ask forgiveness or permission for." -p. 18

I follow Chris's blog and get a lot of inspiration from it. This book is basically the blog distilled and put into an exhortation/how-to manual. It's an engaging, quick read, and increased my desire to break out of my ordinary life and be my own boss. In fact, it's taking me way longer to try to summarize it than it took to read it in the first place, so here it is in bullets:
- Society relies on gate-keepers and peer pressure to keep us all in our little boxes, jumping through hoops and doing busy work. We don't have to go to school, work in an office, and be mindless drudges just because everyone else is. It's the opposite of what you heard as a kid--now instead of "If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?" it's "everyone else is jumping off a bridge, you should too!" if you try to do something different. But you don't have to listen.
- To live a full, meaningful life, you have to figure out what you'd rather be doing. Do the ideal day exercise to crystalize what you want your day-to-day life to be like, then add radical goal-setting (figuring out what you want to do before you die and picking the one or two most important to get to work on) and planning for serendipity (make a plan, but leave flexibility for taking awesome opportunities). Note that just doing everything for yourself is unlikely to be satisfying for long, so think about how you can benefit others.
-Everyone is afraid. You have to do what you want anyway. Change is scary, but don't let that stop you. "All things being equal, we generally resist change until the pain of making a switch becomes less than the pain of remaining in our current situation." To push yourself, you can increase the pain of the current situation, or decrease the fear of the change. Sometimes circumstances do this for you--he gives an example of his apartment flooding pushing him and his wife to move, something they had been considering but putting off for a long time. Also, when you're afraid, think about what is the worst that could happen, realistically. Will you die? Will the world end? No? Probably you should do it, whatever it is.
- Sometimes you're in a position where what's going on around you is wrong. If you find yourself in a position where you need to fight authority, step outside the normal rules of the game and make a new game. You're much more likely to win. Ex. public land was being auctioned off to oil companies. Within the game, people wrote letters and staged a protest, none of which accomplished anything. One guy stepped outside the game by showing up at the auction and bidding enough to win every single piece of land, even though he had no money. That held the process up enough to be overturned when the power shifted to the new presidency.
- If you're looking for security, don't look for it in a beige office with a salary and coffee breaks. Be awesome at what you do, and people will seek you out.
- Chris presents what he learned in grad school vs. the blogosphere school of hard knocks, and proposes an alternative to graduate school involving reading stuff yourself, learning languages, going places, and doing things. You can do a lot of that for the price of one year's tuition these days, and it may be more meaningful.
- How to look at money: don't buy stuff and expect that to make you happy; eschew debt; be frugal but willing to spend on experiences or things you value; give.
- How to make better use of your resources: eliminate the unnecessary (things and to-do tasks), and use the space and time for things you value.
- See the world--it's a mind-expanding adventure.
- As you do great stuff, don't rest on your laurels. Make sure to do some "legacy work" every day--work on your big meaningful project. (Why are these guys so obsessed with their legacies? I agree with the principle that we need to do meaningful work and make sure to chip away at that most important project every day, but to me, it's because I don't want to waste my days, not because I really care that much what I leave behind to be remembered by. Life keeps on going--very few people are remembered at all beyond a hundred years after they die, even fifty, and that's ok. We're all just drops in the cosmic river--our individual contributions really don't matter, it's the whole that matters. But I digress.)
- People may tell you you're being irresponsible, unrealistic, dangerous, etc. but they're just scared.
- Do your thing! Whatever it is, do it!

There are also a bunch of case studies of people doing unconventional things and being happy. It's the power of self-direction--iIt's a waste of life not to take things in your own hands and make it what you want and need it to be. This book provides inspiration and some direction for doing that.(less)

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Jan 31, 2011 Steven rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book because Chris is a Portland blogger whose blog I've read in the past. Also, some bloggers I met are huge fans of his, bordering on acolytes.

I've read enough books that are similar and didn't find anything new here. The book seemed to lack a sense of rigor, as if the author was just talking off the top of his head. Interestingly, the people that are most inspired by Guillebeau are the ones that have started their own blogs with valueless drivel, thinking they deserve credit just...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Danielle Raine rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the perfect read for anyone who suspects there's more to life than the daily grind of joyless conformity.

Being self-employed, I was inspired and encouraged by Chris's take on 'creative self-employment', in particular using the internet. Though I don't share his passion for travel, I can relate to his quest for the freedom to live a life of creativity, flexibility and fun. His advice is less about becoming wealthy enough to travel the world and more about engineering the lifestyle you lo...more

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Sep 18, 2010 Saraes rated it 5 of 5 stars

" Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary. -Sir Cecil Beaton

That quote is in the "Conclusion" section of Mr. Chris Guillebeau's book, "The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want and Change the World." It made me cry. The message, his message, while not truly unique, is something that he puts together so eloq...more " Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary. -Sir Cecil Beaton

That quote is in the "Conclusion" section of Mr. Chris Guillebeau's book, "The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want and Change the World." It made me cry. The message, his message, while not truly unique, is something that he puts together so eloquently that it resonates strongly.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Chris isn't unique because he is, but as I finished reading his book earlier this morn, I realized that I had been highlighting sentences and marking almost every quote in the book with stars. When I got to very last quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., (which is one of my favorites by the way), I realized that others, many others, have shared this philosophy just not in the same way. And so what Chris brings to the table is his perspective, goals and love for this idea. That alone makes the message meaningful.

I can't entirely explain why I cried after finishing Chris's book, but I did. I was simply overwhelmed with emotion.

When I began reading Chris's blog in May of this year, I happily embraced. I found Chris, or maybe Chris found me, at the right time.

So back to the point, my review of the book: it is a MUST read for anyone and everyone out there seeking, questioning and overall doing. Chris's manner of writing is very approachable--he writes the way a friend writes to another friend-offering help, hope and sincerity. The book is easy to read and has great points and questions to ask yourself as you continue to grow.

Of course this book isn't for everybody and Chris makes a point to detail that, but this book is for the people out there struggling to make something happen without knowing how or why.

I especially enjoyed the chapter on legacy. I think this may be why I started to cry. See, I've been told many good things about myself as well: how I make people feel comfortable, am confident, have given confidence to others, etc, but I've always never felt like that was my offering to people, nor did I ever take it without feeling awkward. However, in the past year and a half, I have been lucky enough to find my footing-my offering to this world and one of them is continuing to be a force that comforts people. That is part of my legacy. We all have a legacy, it's just a matter of making sure we keep it moving. Chris offers ways to help you find and continue not just your happiness, but your own path. That's part of his legacy. One that will greatly force you to shake up your own world, which is never a bad thing. In other words, it's well worth the read.
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May 18, 2012 Sara Farinha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“O objectivo deste livro é transformar a tua maneira de pensar sobre a vida e o trabalho.” Esta é a primeira frase do primeiro capítulo do livro ‘A Arte do Inconformismo’ de Chris Guillebeau.

Longe de serem temas desconhecidos para mim, uma vez que a pesquisa nestes campos é algo que faço com frequência, são ideias frescas trazidas por alguém que não tem medo de viver aquilo que sonhou.

Chris conta-nos um pouco da sua vida, dos seus hábitos profissionais e procura tornar claro que somos nós própri...more “O objectivo deste livro é transformar a tua maneira de pensar sobre a vida e o trabalho.” Esta é a primeira frase do primeiro capítulo do livro ‘A Arte do Inconformismo’ de Chris Guillebeau.

Longe de serem temas desconhecidos para mim, uma vez que a pesquisa nestes campos é algo que faço com frequência, são ideias frescas trazidas por alguém que não tem medo de viver aquilo que sonhou.

Chris conta-nos um pouco da sua vida, dos seus hábitos profissionais e procura tornar claro que somos nós próprios o obstáculo para o nossos objectivos e felicidade. Neste livro ele propõe uma visão sobre o conformismo educacional, a frustração das expectativas alheias, a definição daquilo que nos move, as estratégias que estão à nossa disposição, a inventividade, o auto-enriquecimento, o espírito humano e por tantas outras que não consigo listar aqui.

Este é um daqueles livros que começa com uma premissa simples e aparentemente irrealista, mas é logo no Prólogo que nos confrontamos com essa simplicidade e a realidade de ideias que podem fazer a diferença. Cito: “Pensa por ti próprio em vez de seguires a multidão.”

Entre estratégias psicológicas e físicas, Chris deixa-nos algumas ideias sobre o que significa ser um autor, um blogger, um escritor de livros, mas, acima de tudo, Chris mostra-nos o caminho de um livre-pensador que procurou viver os seus sonhos e a sua profissão de uma forma comprometida e responsável mas Livre. Este é o contributo inspiracional deste autor para todos aqueles que têm o bichinho de ‘a vida não pode ser só isto’.

Foi uma leitura inspiradora e à qual retornei assim que terminei a última página. E nas palavras de Chris: “… há quase sempre uma maneira alternativa de alcançar uma coisa; deves fazer o que queres, em vez daquilo que os outros esperam; e o objectivo é alcançar o máximo de convergência possível à volta de tudo pelo qual és apaixonado.”

Que mais há a dizer? É uma leitura deveras interessante e que, se as sementes já existirem na nossa consciência, é um motivador para avaliarmos e concretizarmos aquilo que não achávamos ser possível.

Ver opinião em: http://sarinhafarinha.wordpress.com/2...(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: entrepreneurs

Tell it like it is. That's just what author Chris Guillebeau does in this book of self-exploration, doing what you love to do, and living the life you want to live. The reader will take a journey with the author as he travels around the world, on a very budget. He shows us how to live freely, break the chains of "the common work day", save money (how about that!), help others, and as the book title says, "change the world".
I like how Guillebeau basically shuns a college education, stating how on...more

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Feb 10, 2011 Lain rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book and I agree with many of the author's principles, but as a dedicated student I have to object to his classification of advanced education as being easily replicated by independent efforts. I am a firm believer that you get out what you put in -- if Chris Guillebeau had put more effort into connecting with his college teachers and colleagues instead of speeding through as quickly as possible, I think he would have found it very rewarding.

There are definitely people who learn bet...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Rebekka K. Steg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, favourites, inspirational, non-fiction, philosophy, psychology, writing

I recently finished The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World by Chris Guillebeau and it is just amazing. Absolutely blew me away. Chris Guillebeau blogs at The Art of Non-Conformity, and if you're not already a regular reader I encourage you to check it out, he has some incredible articles and post over there. If you want to live an unusual life, on your own terms and fulfilling your own dreams, this is the book for you. It is about challenging...more I recently finished The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World by Chris Guillebeau and it is just amazing. Absolutely blew me away. Chris Guillebeau blogs at The Art of Non-Conformity, and if you're not already a regular reader I encourage you to check it out, he has some incredible articles and post over there. If you want to live an unusual life, on your own terms and fulfilling your own dreams, this is the book for you. It is about challenging expectations and standards. Waking up from your sleepwalk and figuring out what you want to do with your life. How you will make a difference and live the life of your dreams.

Do you want to do these things? Live your life to the fullest? Well:

You must be open to new ideas
You must be dissatisfied with the status quo
You must be willing to take personal responsibility
You must be willing to work hard
If you can say yes to the four principles above, a good starting point would be to then reverse the 11 Ways to be Unremarkably Average:

Accept what people tell you at face value.
Don't question authority.
Go to college because you're supposed to, not because you want to learn something.
Go overseas once or twice in your life, to somewhere safe like England.
Don't try to learn another language; everyone else will eventually learn English.
Think about starting your own business, but never do it.
Think about writing a book, but never do it.
Get the largest mortgage you qualify for and spend 30 years paying for it.
Sit at a desk 40 hours a week for an average of 10 hours of productive work.
Don't stand out or draw attention to yourself.
Jump through hoops. Check off boxes.
Although The Art of Non-Conformity is easy to read, and only just over 200 pages long, I would recommend that you don't just speed-read through and then think, great, and move on to the next book. Take your time, read one chapter a day or every few days. Try to really take in the message, think about it, and how you could use it in your own life. After all, you only get one life, make it count.(less)

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Dec 14, 2010 Wm rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: socio-poli-religio-cultural

It was fine as such things go. And there are a few points -- about decluttering your life and such -- that make it worthwhile. But it is very much part of the 37Signals/Seth Godin/Get Rich Slowly/4-hour work week/Lifehacker/GTD milieu and so if you are familiar with that type of thing, you won't find much of value here and if you aren't then you probably won't be interested in it the first place.

The one thing I find odd is that there's this elision of the working class. It's like, your part of t...more

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Jul 18, 2012 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh yeah! I really liked this book because it helps the reader identify areas where we are being reinforced to conform to processes, even broken processes. For instance, as children we are encouraged to dress "normal" and not stand out. By the time we are adults, we don't want to stand out for the fear we will be made fun of, fired from the job, etc.

He uses the example that Gary Hamel wrote about the study of the monkey's that many business leaders are writing about (I've come across it in about...more

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