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The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need
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There’s never been a career guide like The Adventures of Johnny Bunko by Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). Told in manga—the Japanese comic book format that’s an international sensation—it’s the fully illustrated story of a young Everyman just out of college who lands his first job.
Johnny Bunko is new to the Boggs Corp., and he stumbles through his early months as a working stiff until a crisis prompts him to rethink his approach. Step by step he builds a career, illustrating as he does the six core lessons of finding, keeping, and flourishing in satisfying work. A groundbreaking guide to surviving and flourishing in any career, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is smart, engaging and insightful, and offers practical advice for anyone looking for a life of rewarding work.
There’s never been a career guide like The Adventures of Johnny Bunko by Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). Told in manga—the Japanese comic book format that’s an international sensation—it’s the fully illustrated story of a young Everyman just out of college who lands his first job.
Johnny Bunko is new to the Boggs Corp., and he stumbles through his early months as a working stiff until a crisis prompts him to rethink his approach. Step by step he builds a career, illustrating as he does the six core lessons of finding, keeping, and flourishing in satisfying work. A groundbreaking guide to surviving and flourishing in any career, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is smart, engaging and insightful, and offers practical advice for anyone looking for a life of rewarding work.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Daniel H. Pink
126 books28.5k followersDaniel H. Pink is the author of six provocative books — including his newest, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.
WHEN has spent 4 months on the New York Times bestseller list and was named a Best Book of 2018 by Amazon and iBooks.
Dan's other books include the long-running New York Times bestseller A Whole New Mind and the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into 39 languages.
He and his wife, who live in Washington, DC, have three children -- a college senior, a college sophomore, and a high school sophomore.
WHEN has spent 4 months on the New York Times bestseller list and was named a Best Book of 2018 by Amazon and iBooks.
Dan's other books include the long-running New York Times bestseller A Whole New Mind and the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into 39 languages.
He and his wife, who live in Washington, DC, have three children -- a college senior, a college sophomore, and a high school sophomore.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews
May 15, 2009
Reading the NY Times Magazine one Sunday, Amy asked over the breakfast table: "have you ever heard of Daniel Pink?" I had not. She insisted that I get his books and read them. The article she was reading (on early childhood education) cited Pink on the importance of creativity to our contemporary culture. The article addressed kids in particular (for instance, said the report: even if kids test high on academic achievement at age 5, this is no indicator of future academic success, and may even represent academic failure! Does this mean don't read to your kids? No... but, suggested the article, and by extension, Pink: kids need to be able to play and use their imagination.)
At any rate, the subject of the relative importance of the right brain in society is a bull's-eye issue for me and Amy was right, I needed to find out what Mr. Pink had to say about it. I ordered a bunch of Pink books from Amazon. It seems he uses his particular lens not just on society as a whole, but on personal enrichment and career advice.
This book--Johnny Bunko--is a short manga story about a guy who finds a genie who gives him career advice in six lessons.
I have numerous objections: one, from my grandfather, who surely WANTED to play golf and create a career from his personal passion... but doggone it, there was that pesky SURVIVAL to worry about. Somehow the digging ditches, homelessness, and factory work kept getting in the way. (Pop-pop won out, though, not by following his bliss but by following his need to eat. He worked like a dog, married Grandmom, bought a house, started his own insurance company, and got to play golf after food was on the table.) Pink doesn't really talk about the "starving" part of "starving artist."
Second objection: the book is totally lightweight: it takes platitudes and spins them into smart-sounding, impractical advice: "There is no plan" says Pink. My mom says, "A goal without a plan is just a wish."
Thirdly: There's no critical justification. Malcolm Gladwell or Stephen Levitt back up their often-surprising theories with data. In this book, Pink sounds a lot more like John Brinkley (cf: Charlatan!) than a creditable social theorist.
On the other hand: this is a Manga short story. It took a serious topic and addressed it in comic-book form. (So he's just like Art Spiegelman, right? Hah!) It took a shorter time to read than it took to write this review. The advice, extrapolated from its aphoristic form, is not all bad. It introduced me painlessly to this Daniel Pink. I enjoyed the new topic and a new thinker.
I also have begun another book by Pink, which shows more intellectual rigor.
Daniel Pink, you get 2.5 stars, and since it's sunny today, I round up.
WHY I READ THIS BOOK: Asked and answered!
At any rate, the subject of the relative importance of the right brain in society is a bull's-eye issue for me and Amy was right, I needed to find out what Mr. Pink had to say about it. I ordered a bunch of Pink books from Amazon. It seems he uses his particular lens not just on society as a whole, but on personal enrichment and career advice.
This book--Johnny Bunko--is a short manga story about a guy who finds a genie who gives him career advice in six lessons.
I have numerous objections: one, from my grandfather, who surely WANTED to play golf and create a career from his personal passion... but doggone it, there was that pesky SURVIVAL to worry about. Somehow the digging ditches, homelessness, and factory work kept getting in the way. (Pop-pop won out, though, not by following his bliss but by following his need to eat. He worked like a dog, married Grandmom, bought a house, started his own insurance company, and got to play golf after food was on the table.) Pink doesn't really talk about the "starving" part of "starving artist."
Second objection: the book is totally lightweight: it takes platitudes and spins them into smart-sounding, impractical advice: "There is no plan" says Pink. My mom says, "A goal without a plan is just a wish."
Thirdly: There's no critical justification. Malcolm Gladwell or Stephen Levitt back up their often-surprising theories with data. In this book, Pink sounds a lot more like John Brinkley (cf: Charlatan!) than a creditable social theorist.
On the other hand: this is a Manga short story. It took a serious topic and addressed it in comic-book form. (So he's just like Art Spiegelman, right? Hah!) It took a shorter time to read than it took to write this review. The advice, extrapolated from its aphoristic form, is not all bad. It introduced me painlessly to this Daniel Pink. I enjoyed the new topic and a new thinker.
I also have begun another book by Pink, which shows more intellectual rigor.
Daniel Pink, you get 2.5 stars, and since it's sunny today, I round up.
WHY I READ THIS BOOK: Asked and answered!
September 2, 2017
Daniel Pink is one of my favorite authors and this is the last of his books I had yet to read. It is short and simple but provides a decent foundation of professional lessons.
The story is focused on six career lessons that begin with "There is No Plan" and end with "Leave an Imprint." While there were no new groundbreaking methods shared in The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, it was a quick, easy read and a reminder to take focus on what's important and what you derive value from in the workplace. It's a nice reminder for those already working, and would also make a nice, non-overwhelming gift for college graduates. While things are often changing in regard to corporate culture, best practices, and how to best succeed (which is also undoubtedly subjective), these lessons as a whole are pretty timeless.
The story is focused on six career lessons that begin with "There is No Plan" and end with "Leave an Imprint." While there were no new groundbreaking methods shared in The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, it was a quick, easy read and a reminder to take focus on what's important and what you derive value from in the workplace. It's a nice reminder for those already working, and would also make a nice, non-overwhelming gift for college graduates. While things are often changing in regard to corporate culture, best practices, and how to best succeed (which is also undoubtedly subjective), these lessons as a whole are pretty timeless.
December 16, 2017
Una vez que vi que el reto de PopSugar tenia como categoría "un libro con consejos laborales" me puse en modo Star Wars y me dije a mi misma "tengo un mal presentimiento acerca de esto" y no porque estos libros sean malos, sino porque son libros con los que he tenido poco acercamiento así que decidí que buscaría algo y...no lo hice, fue hasta hace poco que comencé a ponerme al día con el Reto es que encontré este libro y en cierto modo fue mejor de lo que esperaba.
Si hay algo que odio de este tipo de libros es que muchas veces parece más un adoctrinamiento en que te dicen que cambies muchas cosas sobre ti, y en este caso no es así, más bien se centra en seis consejos:
Todos estos consejos son narrados por una simpática hada estilo anime, o algo así, y son ejemplificados por los sucesos de la vida de Jhonny Burko, el protagonista. Si bien el libro lo presenta de manera muy simple al menos hace un esfuerzo en explicar porque estos seis puntos son importantes, pero también deja claro que no lo son todo, aunque si sirven para comenzar y debes tenerlos siempre presente.
Esta historia se lee en menos de una hora, es lo suficientemente divertido para el lector y, sin ser efectista, funciona. Recomendado si estas buscando algo específico sobre carreras, no tanto como mero entretenimiento.
Si hay algo que odio de este tipo de libros es que muchas veces parece más un adoctrinamiento en que te dicen que cambies muchas cosas sobre ti, y en este caso no es así, más bien se centra en seis consejos:
1. No hay un plan.
2. Piensa en tus fortalezas, nos en tus debilidades.
3. No se trata de ti.
4. Las persistencia es más importante que el talento.
5.Comete errores excelentes.
6. Donde sea que vayas, deja una huella.
Todos estos consejos son narrados por una simpática hada estilo anime, o algo así, y son ejemplificados por los sucesos de la vida de Jhonny Burko, el protagonista. Si bien el libro lo presenta de manera muy simple al menos hace un esfuerzo en explicar porque estos seis puntos son importantes, pero también deja claro que no lo son todo, aunque si sirven para comenzar y debes tenerlos siempre presente.
Esta historia se lee en menos de una hora, es lo suficientemente divertido para el lector y, sin ser efectista, funciona. Recomendado si estas buscando algo específico sobre carreras, no tanto como mero entretenimiento.
November 24, 2018
While listening to the Tim Ferriss show featuring Kevin Kelly whom Tim calls the world's most interesting person suggested this book for the persons whom are just starting out on their career for getting enough clarity and to avoid the common mistakes most make , hence I had to read it then itself cause I'm just starting out and don't want to screw up anything and I did complete this graphic manga novel in a single sitting cause it was actually a brief read and super interesting, it had some hilarious characters which made such a serious book more fun and kept me going non stop even though I started the book at 1 o clock or so in the morning.
The book shares 6 lessons which if you swipe left you can read that should be a mind tattoo for all of you that hungers for success in almost every field and try to make them as a mind tattoo like I did.
To whom I suggest this book ? All that hungers for success, To the ones that find non fiction and self help a lame or not a cool genre, To all those who don't read at all, quick read junkies, People who are lost .
The book shares 6 lessons which if you swipe left you can read that should be a mind tattoo for all of you that hungers for success in almost every field and try to make them as a mind tattoo like I did.
To whom I suggest this book ? All that hungers for success, To the ones that find non fiction and self help a lame or not a cool genre, To all those who don't read at all, quick read junkies, People who are lost .
October 4, 2016
I think art work was good and narrative was fine. But, by way of content, I found it bit superficial. It has 6 take-aways that when it comes to one's career:
1. There is no plan.
2. Think strengths, not weakness. (That is work what you are good at rather than where you have to work on weaknesses.)
3. It's not about you. (Contribute to team, project et al.)
4. Persistence trumps talent. (No, it doesn't contradict 2. Think about it.)
5.Make excellent mistakes.
6. Leave an imprint (wherever you go).
The book reminded me of the training programs we make - A character for learner to empathize and identify with. Throw him in a scenario where we need to teach him these points. Only here medium was manga, which I thought was well-drawn.
1. There is no plan.
2. Think strengths, not weakness. (That is work what you are good at rather than where you have to work on weaknesses.)
3. It's not about you. (Contribute to team, project et al.)
4. Persistence trumps talent. (No, it doesn't contradict 2. Think about it.)
5.Make excellent mistakes.
6. Leave an imprint (wherever you go).
The book reminded me of the training programs we make - A character for learner to empathize and identify with. Throw him in a scenario where we need to teach him these points. Only here medium was manga, which I thought was well-drawn.
August 2, 2016
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is written in Manga-the Japanese comic book style by bestselling author Daniel Pink. I completed this book in just 45 minutes. I just loved the concept adopted by the author to deliver key points in a comic format without compromising the prose style. The book is enjoyable to read.
The synopsis of this book is the following 6 points:
1. There is no plan. Do what you love to do. Sticking to a infinite plan is not advisable. Do what motivates you, what excites you. And thing will just FLOW normally when done intrinsically.
2. Think Strengths not weaknesses. Capitalize on your strengths; people just invest so much time & money in acquiring skill or learning habit. This is not that bad but it should not be at the expense of ignoring your strength altogether & start thinking about your own self as being unproductive.
3. It’s not about you, it's about people around you. Once you're comfortable with seeing other people happy, you achieve the Intrinsic motivation leading you towards SUCCESS (of any kind)
4. Persistence is the first step towards excellence. The more you do the more better you become at doing your desired thing. Persistence ultimately trumps your talent.
5. Make excellent mistakes. This should not include blunders. The mistakes which people don’t criticize altogether, but give you reasons of impractical. Not criticizing your thought process but rejected of being not cost beneficial or practically viable etc.
6. Leave an imprint on whatever you do. Carry out thing in a way that it'll become worthwhile or difficult to resist in the eye of others.
The synopsis of this book is the following 6 points:
1. There is no plan. Do what you love to do. Sticking to a infinite plan is not advisable. Do what motivates you, what excites you. And thing will just FLOW normally when done intrinsically.
2. Think Strengths not weaknesses. Capitalize on your strengths; people just invest so much time & money in acquiring skill or learning habit. This is not that bad but it should not be at the expense of ignoring your strength altogether & start thinking about your own self as being unproductive.
3. It’s not about you, it's about people around you. Once you're comfortable with seeing other people happy, you achieve the Intrinsic motivation leading you towards SUCCESS (of any kind)
4. Persistence is the first step towards excellence. The more you do the more better you become at doing your desired thing. Persistence ultimately trumps your talent.
5. Make excellent mistakes. This should not include blunders. The mistakes which people don’t criticize altogether, but give you reasons of impractical. Not criticizing your thought process but rejected of being not cost beneficial or practically viable etc.
6. Leave an imprint on whatever you do. Carry out thing in a way that it'll become worthwhile or difficult to resist in the eye of others.
June 5, 2017
Ngày xưa hồi hì hụi tự học tiếng Anh mình thường học trên BBC hồi đó thích mê cái chương trình English at work. Đại loại cái chương trình này kể về hành trình một đứa từ đi xin việc đến khi vào làm việc, trải qua bao nhiêu thử thách để đạt được thành công. Cái thú vị của chương trình này là người narrator. Narrator trong English at work này giống như một mentor vô hình đi theo nhân vật chính và đưa ra gợi ý cho nhân vật chính hoàn thành mọi việc. Lúc đó mình thèm có một mentor vô hình như thế đi theo mình chỉ cho mình mấy cái sai sót khi làm công việc đầu tiên "Trang, đừng có chọc tay vào mũi rồi bôi vào bàn" "Trang, đừng có ngáp dài như thế"... bla bla...
Anw, quyển sách này là dạng như phiên bản truyện tranh với format giống English at work. Một thanh niên mới đi làm, gặp cực nhiều lỗi lầm, stress, bị sếp mắng mỏ, đồng nghiệp chê cười cho tới khi cậu tình cờ vào được một quán ăn, gặp được Diana - một dạng như thiên thần - mình cũng không biết tả sao nữa. Diana xuất hiện khi Johnny Bunko tách 2 cây đũa. Nhưng cậu chỉ có 6 cây và phải dùng nó thật thông minh.
6 lần tách đũa, Diana đưa cho cậu 6 lời khuyên:
1. There is no plan
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses
3. It's not about you
4. Persistence trumps talent
5. Make excellent mistakes
6. Leave an imprint
Anw, quyển sách này là dạng như phiên bản truyện tranh với format giống English at work. Một thanh niên mới đi làm, gặp cực nhiều lỗi lầm, stress, bị sếp mắng mỏ, đồng nghiệp chê cười cho tới khi cậu tình cờ vào được một quán ăn, gặp được Diana - một dạng như thiên thần - mình cũng không biết tả sao nữa. Diana xuất hiện khi Johnny Bunko tách 2 cây đũa. Nhưng cậu chỉ có 6 cây và phải dùng nó thật thông minh.
6 lần tách đũa, Diana đưa cho cậu 6 lời khuyên:
1. There is no plan
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses
3. It's not about you
4. Persistence trumps talent
5. Make excellent mistakes
6. Leave an imprint
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2015
It's back to school time!
Guys. I hated school. Like to the point that I can't even step foot in a Target between August and September because I get the dry heaves.
So this book has some okay career advice. I mean, it's good, it's just that advice is always hard to take. I appreciate the attempt to make it palatable, and I do think it offers one good point, which is that you should pursue stuff you're interested in, even if it doesn't have a strong A to B career path. Because hell, you probably won't end up in the career you planned on anyway. I don't know if I work with ANYONE who has done that.
Anyway, back to school.
This book made me think about school and why I hated it and what I would tell my young self if I had to go back and give myself some advice on getting through school. Because I can't honestly say I was bullied or anything like that. Some people weren't very nice, but that was more about using their status cachet to copy homework or something. Nobody ever tried to beat me up. Which is a good thing because they could have EASILY beaten me up.
What would I tell myself?
1. Don't mess around being in plays and junk like that.
Great for some kids, not for you, Pete. Those are not your people. They smoke and make out. You're really bad at both of those things.
2. You'll have to take about 5 dumps at school.
Which isn't bad. But when it happens, just accept it.
3. Don't worry, you won't have to double-date in adulthood.
It just becomes going out and sometimes couples come together and sometimes they don't. In this one instance, it does, in fact, Get Better.
4. Don't trade Blade on DVD for Blade on VHS just because you don't have a DVD player at the time of the offer.
About 6 weeks of patience will really pay off here.
5. Columbia House will completely collapse.
You can probably just bilk them out of penny movies plus free tote bags without fear of repercussion.
6. When this movie called The Matrix comes out, just go see it. Don't download trailers on the internet, which takes hours anyway. Just go and watch it and you'll have more fun.
7. Some of the best times of your life will be waking up early on a Saturday morning with a video game you rented waiting in the Nintendo.
It sounds sad, but you'll get over worrying about that part. Man, enjoy that. Milk that shit.
8. You could probably curse more.
Nobody cares. Especially in school papers. Nobody even really reads that shit.
9. There's a page in that little green trig book where there are two tugboat operators named Yank Hardy and Frank Pullyum.
Find that and laugh and laugh because math is dumb and names that sound like masturbation are hilarious. This page will sustain you through many math classes.
10. Programming Drug Wars into your TI-83 calculator is why you had such a hard time with derivatives. And it's totally worth it because nobody cares about that, meanwhile everyone cares about the fast-paced world of drug sales. There's like a primetime TV show about it now.
Overall, I guess the message is that school totally blows and there's not much you can do about it, so I guess enjoy everything else as much as you can.
Guys. I hated school. Like to the point that I can't even step foot in a Target between August and September because I get the dry heaves.
So this book has some okay career advice. I mean, it's good, it's just that advice is always hard to take. I appreciate the attempt to make it palatable, and I do think it offers one good point, which is that you should pursue stuff you're interested in, even if it doesn't have a strong A to B career path. Because hell, you probably won't end up in the career you planned on anyway. I don't know if I work with ANYONE who has done that.
Anyway, back to school.
This book made me think about school and why I hated it and what I would tell my young self if I had to go back and give myself some advice on getting through school. Because I can't honestly say I was bullied or anything like that. Some people weren't very nice, but that was more about using their status cachet to copy homework or something. Nobody ever tried to beat me up. Which is a good thing because they could have EASILY beaten me up.
What would I tell myself?
1. Don't mess around being in plays and junk like that.
Great for some kids, not for you, Pete. Those are not your people. They smoke and make out. You're really bad at both of those things.
2. You'll have to take about 5 dumps at school.
Which isn't bad. But when it happens, just accept it.
3. Don't worry, you won't have to double-date in adulthood.
It just becomes going out and sometimes couples come together and sometimes they don't. In this one instance, it does, in fact, Get Better.
4. Don't trade Blade on DVD for Blade on VHS just because you don't have a DVD player at the time of the offer.
About 6 weeks of patience will really pay off here.
5. Columbia House will completely collapse.
You can probably just bilk them out of penny movies plus free tote bags without fear of repercussion.
6. When this movie called The Matrix comes out, just go see it. Don't download trailers on the internet, which takes hours anyway. Just go and watch it and you'll have more fun.
7. Some of the best times of your life will be waking up early on a Saturday morning with a video game you rented waiting in the Nintendo.
It sounds sad, but you'll get over worrying about that part. Man, enjoy that. Milk that shit.
8. You could probably curse more.
Nobody cares. Especially in school papers. Nobody even really reads that shit.
9. There's a page in that little green trig book where there are two tugboat operators named Yank Hardy and Frank Pullyum.
Find that and laugh and laugh because math is dumb and names that sound like masturbation are hilarious. This page will sustain you through many math classes.
10. Programming Drug Wars into your TI-83 calculator is why you had such a hard time with derivatives. And it's totally worth it because nobody cares about that, meanwhile everyone cares about the fast-paced world of drug sales. There's like a primetime TV show about it now.
Overall, I guess the message is that school totally blows and there's not much you can do about it, so I guess enjoy everything else as much as you can.
April 26, 2020
Persistence trumps talent.
Good short read. Unconventional self-help, career guide!!
Recommended 👍
Good short read. Unconventional self-help, career guide!!
Recommended 👍
October 23, 2021
As a fresh graduate myself, this was insightful in a fun way! My favorite part is when the fairy said that this book was nonfiction.
January 2, 2009
(Adapted from www.diyplanner.com)
Last month, I was reading an article about Daniel Pink and how he went to Japan to study the art and culture surrounding Japanese comics, otherwise known as manga. He was interested in the format's popularity; this was a book format that people of all ages enjoyed reading. He studied the culture and the form to see how it could be applied to other disciplines successfully. The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is the result of that study. This introductory guide on life design and career planning in today's modern workplace uses the manga format to weave a story about a man who learns more about life and work in six easy lessons. It's a fast read, filled with entertaining scenarios, and some short but powerful ideas on how to get ahead in your career.
The book tells the story of Johnny Bunko, "who is a lot like you and me." He's gone to school, graduated, and has a job in a company and department that he's not sure whether or not he wants anymore. While getting food for another late night of work, he has a run-in with a "fairy god-friend", named Diana. His world and workplace are never the same after meeting her. She's a whiz at helping people find their truth and teaches them what it means to live the life they want to have. Through the use of magical chopsticks and some helpful wisdom, Johnny Bunko learns how to transform his life and pursue the career he dreamt of having.
Pink distills Diana's wisdom down into six statements. These statements hold basic truths that anyone who works these days can tap into and relate to:
1. There is no plan.
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses.
3. It's not about you.
4. Persistence trumps talent.
5. Make excellent mistakes.
6. Leave an imprint.
While none of these lessons are mind shattering, (many are spoken time and time again by "the productivity gurus", like Covey and Allen), what makes these principles stick is in the presentation-- story and artwork. Pink's creative plot and Rob Ten Pas's manga artwork work together to illustrate (literally) how individuals can apply each statement into various working aspects of their lives. This format easily allows anyone at a modest reading level to read and understand what each statement means and how they can apply it to their working life. Johnny Bunko fumbles his way through each lesson to learn exactly what he needs to do to get his career to align with his dreams. This book gives readers permission to play the "what-if" game and think about how they can get from where they are to where they want to be in life.
I'm not an expert on critiquing manga art. But I will say that I enjoyed Rob Ten Pas's black-and-white pen line art. The lines are crisp and clean and the comic book format was not hard to follow at all. Each pane flows into one another smoothly. This marriage between written storytelling and comic/movie story-boarding works in the book's favor. In a world where the written word is becoming the "last minute pastime", the manga format helps to draw people back to books. When you read a manga, it's more like you are reading a movie. Many people are visual learners and I think that if more books were written in this style, it would help break down and drive complex ideas (such as life design and career planning) into visual ways that people can just see how to apply these concepts to their own situations.
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is a great graduation gift for those entering the job force soon. It offers any graduate, from high school to college, the chance to read through, learn, and see how these statements actually do and can apply to their own lives. The first non-fiction book to be written in a comic format, I sure hope it's not the last. Johnny Bunko is highly entertaining and the artwork aids in retaining the information inside the book. While it's not really "the last career guide you will ever need" per se, it IS a good book to keep around and read over and over again when you want to remind yourself of: where you are in life and whether or not your work, values and hobbies align with your ultimate vision of who and what you want to be doing in this world. Visit the book's website to learn more about it and to see an excerpt.
Last month, I was reading an article about Daniel Pink and how he went to Japan to study the art and culture surrounding Japanese comics, otherwise known as manga. He was interested in the format's popularity; this was a book format that people of all ages enjoyed reading. He studied the culture and the form to see how it could be applied to other disciplines successfully. The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is the result of that study. This introductory guide on life design and career planning in today's modern workplace uses the manga format to weave a story about a man who learns more about life and work in six easy lessons. It's a fast read, filled with entertaining scenarios, and some short but powerful ideas on how to get ahead in your career.
The book tells the story of Johnny Bunko, "who is a lot like you and me." He's gone to school, graduated, and has a job in a company and department that he's not sure whether or not he wants anymore. While getting food for another late night of work, he has a run-in with a "fairy god-friend", named Diana. His world and workplace are never the same after meeting her. She's a whiz at helping people find their truth and teaches them what it means to live the life they want to have. Through the use of magical chopsticks and some helpful wisdom, Johnny Bunko learns how to transform his life and pursue the career he dreamt of having.
Pink distills Diana's wisdom down into six statements. These statements hold basic truths that anyone who works these days can tap into and relate to:
1. There is no plan.
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses.
3. It's not about you.
4. Persistence trumps talent.
5. Make excellent mistakes.
6. Leave an imprint.
While none of these lessons are mind shattering, (many are spoken time and time again by "the productivity gurus", like Covey and Allen), what makes these principles stick is in the presentation-- story and artwork. Pink's creative plot and Rob Ten Pas's manga artwork work together to illustrate (literally) how individuals can apply each statement into various working aspects of their lives. This format easily allows anyone at a modest reading level to read and understand what each statement means and how they can apply it to their working life. Johnny Bunko fumbles his way through each lesson to learn exactly what he needs to do to get his career to align with his dreams. This book gives readers permission to play the "what-if" game and think about how they can get from where they are to where they want to be in life.
I'm not an expert on critiquing manga art. But I will say that I enjoyed Rob Ten Pas's black-and-white pen line art. The lines are crisp and clean and the comic book format was not hard to follow at all. Each pane flows into one another smoothly. This marriage between written storytelling and comic/movie story-boarding works in the book's favor. In a world where the written word is becoming the "last minute pastime", the manga format helps to draw people back to books. When you read a manga, it's more like you are reading a movie. Many people are visual learners and I think that if more books were written in this style, it would help break down and drive complex ideas (such as life design and career planning) into visual ways that people can just see how to apply these concepts to their own situations.
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is a great graduation gift for those entering the job force soon. It offers any graduate, from high school to college, the chance to read through, learn, and see how these statements actually do and can apply to their own lives. The first non-fiction book to be written in a comic format, I sure hope it's not the last. Johnny Bunko is highly entertaining and the artwork aids in retaining the information inside the book. While it's not really "the last career guide you will ever need" per se, it IS a good book to keep around and read over and over again when you want to remind yourself of: where you are in life and whether or not your work, values and hobbies align with your ultimate vision of who and what you want to be doing in this world. Visit the book's website to learn more about it and to see an excerpt.
January 15, 2009
For what this is- this book is brilliant.
What it is? It's a self-help career guide. Mr. Pink, a former White House speech writer, elected to use the Manga storytelling style to reach his specified audience in a unique way. His justification- Why we read a book if you can do a google search?
In 6 deliberately fast reading segments, Pink discusses the following principles:
1. There is no plan
2. Think strengths- not weaknesses
3. It's not about you
4. Persistence trumps talent
5. Make excellent mistakes
and
6. Leave an imprint
You may not need to read this book, however, if you do, it only takes about 30 minutes.
What it is? It's a self-help career guide. Mr. Pink, a former White House speech writer, elected to use the Manga storytelling style to reach his specified audience in a unique way. His justification- Why we read a book if you can do a google search?
In 6 deliberately fast reading segments, Pink discusses the following principles:
1. There is no plan
2. Think strengths- not weaknesses
3. It's not about you
4. Persistence trumps talent
5. Make excellent mistakes
and
6. Leave an imprint
You may not need to read this book, however, if you do, it only takes about 30 minutes.
January 28, 2010
This is a novel way to get students thinking about how to choose a career. Very wise advice.
February 25, 2021
I disagree with the title a bit - for those seeking a career guide, I’d say this one doesn’t go in-depth enough with its lessons to be “the last you’ll ever need”. However, whereas it’s a comic, I realize that to go more in-depth might be at a cost of being less entertaining and also that the choice of title may be a marketing tactic. I did enjoy it though and perhaps would’ve never imagined the comic medium being used to convey such messages so kudos to the author for such a unique creation. I discussed it in my book club and everyone agreed that the main points contained within it are also pretty direct for anyone who may have that as a preference in fables or nonfiction.
January 18, 2021
"Não consigo decidir. Será isto estupidificantemente repetitivo? Ou repetitivamente estupidificante?"
November 27, 2015
What is this book about?
This is manga about a young man who has begun his job after leaving university. He is struggling and lacking in motivation in his job. A life coaching angel comes his way who he can then summon by breaking disposable chopsticks! She gives him six chopsticks and each time he breaks one, she turns up to give him one axiom of wisdom. Each axiom helps him take the next step of his career, but but this step inevitably needing to break another chopstick to get another axiom to help him out of that career crisis. By the end of the book he has six axioms, and a clear sense of what he once in his career.
Why should I read this book?
I really enjoyed Daniel Pink’s book Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us, so was looking forward to reading this one. Plus it’s a manga. I read this book more as a resource for students, rather than a book for me. So I will review it in that spirit. It is a good starting point for thinking about what it takes to be successful in one’s career, beyond one’s technical abilities. While this book in of itself, would not provide much grist for the mill, it is a useful starting point for university students and people very early in their career. Think of it as a kickstart. A further reading list at the end of the book would have been useful.
tl;dr
A simple and useful manga style career guide for university students and those early in their career.
http://terryjohal.com/2015/08/06/book...
This is manga about a young man who has begun his job after leaving university. He is struggling and lacking in motivation in his job. A life coaching angel comes his way who he can then summon by breaking disposable chopsticks! She gives him six chopsticks and each time he breaks one, she turns up to give him one axiom of wisdom. Each axiom helps him take the next step of his career, but but this step inevitably needing to break another chopstick to get another axiom to help him out of that career crisis. By the end of the book he has six axioms, and a clear sense of what he once in his career.
Why should I read this book?
I really enjoyed Daniel Pink’s book Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us, so was looking forward to reading this one. Plus it’s a manga. I read this book more as a resource for students, rather than a book for me. So I will review it in that spirit. It is a good starting point for thinking about what it takes to be successful in one’s career, beyond one’s technical abilities. While this book in of itself, would not provide much grist for the mill, it is a useful starting point for university students and people very early in their career. Think of it as a kickstart. A further reading list at the end of the book would have been useful.
tl;dr
A simple and useful manga style career guide for university students and those early in their career.
http://terryjohal.com/2015/08/06/book...
May 25, 2016
2.5 stars
A quick read presented in a creative way. This book introduces six principles to keep in mind when thinking about career. I find the subtitle "the last career guide you'll ever need" kind of ironic because while the book introduces good principles, I think they need a bit more discussion in order for people to really see how to implement them in their lives. This is more like the career guide to start with rather than the last word. If you're someone who's willing to sit down and really delve into principles of professional development, then there are better books out there. This book is perfect for a college grad, someone who doesn't like to read, or someone who needs to be convinced to think about career decisions and development - it'll get the ideas across without making you work too hard.
A quick read presented in a creative way. This book introduces six principles to keep in mind when thinking about career. I find the subtitle "the last career guide you'll ever need" kind of ironic because while the book introduces good principles, I think they need a bit more discussion in order for people to really see how to implement them in their lives. This is more like the career guide to start with rather than the last word. If you're someone who's willing to sit down and really delve into principles of professional development, then there are better books out there. This book is perfect for a college grad, someone who doesn't like to read, or someone who needs to be convinced to think about career decisions and development - it'll get the ideas across without making you work too hard.
October 10, 2015
A few paragraphs of career advice wrapped into lots of unnecessary... manga.
Okay, so I'm not a fan, but I thought there was a chance it would be interesting. Turns out it's more the after-school-special kind of pandering, what adults feel that "young people these days" might like. Starting off by assuming your audience are morons who will identify with the loser hero of the story did not get me started on the right foot.
Thankfully, Dan Pink has written plenty of other normal non-fiction books for adult audiences, and they're much better. Maybe somewhere in a blog post or something he has already summarized these 6 little career tips, too.
Okay, so I'm not a fan, but I thought there was a chance it would be interesting. Turns out it's more the after-school-special kind of pandering, what adults feel that "young people these days" might like. Starting off by assuming your audience are morons who will identify with the loser hero of the story did not get me started on the right foot.
Thankfully, Dan Pink has written plenty of other normal non-fiction books for adult audiences, and they're much better. Maybe somewhere in a blog post or something he has already summarized these 6 little career tips, too.
September 16, 2011
This is one of my favorite graphic novels. Johnny Bunko shows different kinds of tips for you to getting a job. It's a pretty interesting book including tons of conflicts and advice. I would say this book is one of my favorites because I enjoy graphic novels, and I enjoyed the plot. I don't want to ruin this for you guys, so I'd recommend for you to read it. Fun, interesting, and entertaining book.
Read
November 7, 2009For its length, the best career book I've read. Combines the latest in "how to find a job you'll do well at - and do it well" in a succinct story in manga format. A good concept, well executed.
July 2, 2014
My introduction to the world of Manga! And also career guides! Insightful and simple! I should have read it when i was 21!
November 13, 2020
Super fun quick read, but really insightful on career (and life) advice. Gives good examples for the 6 career secrets nobody has ever told you.
August 4, 2019
2 stars -- finished, but nothing special
Had it not been in a quick-read manga format, I would have given it 1 star ("did not finish").
I was hoping for some substantial career wisdom, something I could actually use during the next 30-something career years I have in front of me. But the book just feels dull. It's a low-quality pep talk about a guy leaving his boring accounting number-crunching job to get into marketing where he thinks outside of the box and comes up with a revolutionary product (a hi tech pair of shoes). "Dull" is the best word that comes to mind for this one, I don't have much to add.
This book was probably a marketing experiment of a sort. Although it is a manga, it reads from left to right and references recent American non-fiction bestsellers (Martin Seligman, Flow). The idea was probably that the format would make the story accessible to a wider audience than non-fiction readers.
Oh yeah, the story mentions a fictitious character who left his job to become a stay-at-home dad, and who now has his blog and is almost making as much money out of it as when he was employed. That felt completely unnecessary and unrealistic to me. The idea that you can make your stay-at-home side business and that online marketing will pay your bills.
If you enjoyed the book, you'll probably also enjoy The Go-Giver and everything written by Seth Godin. For me, it's just not my taste.
And if you're looking for actual career advice, like, how to successfully make it through the landscape of office jobs, I highly recommend How to Become CEO by Jeffrey Fox (which isn't much of a longer read). If you have other suggestions please leave them in the comments :).
Had it not been in a quick-read manga format, I would have given it 1 star ("did not finish").
I was hoping for some substantial career wisdom, something I could actually use during the next 30-something career years I have in front of me. But the book just feels dull. It's a low-quality pep talk about a guy leaving his boring accounting number-crunching job to get into marketing where he thinks outside of the box and comes up with a revolutionary product (a hi tech pair of shoes). "Dull" is the best word that comes to mind for this one, I don't have much to add.
This book was probably a marketing experiment of a sort. Although it is a manga, it reads from left to right and references recent American non-fiction bestsellers (Martin Seligman, Flow). The idea was probably that the format would make the story accessible to a wider audience than non-fiction readers.
Oh yeah, the story mentions a fictitious character who left his job to become a stay-at-home dad, and who now has his blog and is almost making as much money out of it as when he was employed. That felt completely unnecessary and unrealistic to me. The idea that you can make your stay-at-home side business and that online marketing will pay your bills.
If you enjoyed the book, you'll probably also enjoy The Go-Giver and everything written by Seth Godin. For me, it's just not my taste.
And if you're looking for actual career advice, like, how to successfully make it through the landscape of office jobs, I highly recommend How to Become CEO by Jeffrey Fox (which isn't much of a longer read). If you have other suggestions please leave them in the comments :).
August 14, 2017
Las aventuras de Johnny Bunko, es una forma diferente de presentar retos personales y profesionales, aunque desgraciadamente esta configuración deja muy vacíos los argumentos que llevan al autor a afirmar los propuesto.
La ilustración es decente aunque no es suficiente para que el lector reflexione o profundice en conceptos básicos.
Por otro lado, los juicios expresados a lo largo de la obra son muy limitados y poco prudentes, sobre todo si se desea enseñar una propuesta asertiva, pareciera mas bien un producto de una mala mercadotecnia.
La primera propuesta del autor, incluso podría desorientar a personas poco ordenadas y con un desbalance emocional que requiere de planes profesionales que apoyen la estructura intelectual y navegar con una meta en la mente.
En general no es una mala lectura, definitivamente tiene momentos interesantes, y sobre todo la apuesta por un nuevo formato lo vuelve agradable en la forma, no así en el fondo.
Precisamente de lo que más se adolece en el mundo empresarial es de una visión completa y antropológica, este libro no es la opción en ese sentido.
La ilustración es decente aunque no es suficiente para que el lector reflexione o profundice en conceptos básicos.
Por otro lado, los juicios expresados a lo largo de la obra son muy limitados y poco prudentes, sobre todo si se desea enseñar una propuesta asertiva, pareciera mas bien un producto de una mala mercadotecnia.
La primera propuesta del autor, incluso podría desorientar a personas poco ordenadas y con un desbalance emocional que requiere de planes profesionales que apoyen la estructura intelectual y navegar con una meta en la mente.
En general no es una mala lectura, definitivamente tiene momentos interesantes, y sobre todo la apuesta por un nuevo formato lo vuelve agradable en la forma, no así en el fondo.
Precisamente de lo que más se adolece en el mundo empresarial es de una visión completa y antropológica, este libro no es la opción en ese sentido.
January 26, 2020
As I am rereading Mr. Pink's Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us for a PLN, I starting exploring some of his other works since I rated Drive 5/5 and To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others has been highly recommended to me; albeit, about five years ago. Johnny Bunko's adventures are sage snippets of career advice for those who are for the first time embarking on their professional journeys but also for those who want to make sure that they are still pursuing fulfillment.
March 22, 2022
Buku The Adventures of Johnny Bunko yang ini sangat menarik untuk dibaca. Buku ini di tuliskan dengan model komik, yang membuat kita bisa lebih cepat dałam menyelesaikan bacaannya.
Buku ini berceritakan tentang petualangan seorang karyawan yang bernama Johny Bunko. seorang karyawan yang sudah mulai jenuh dengan dunianya. tapi, di kemudian hari dia bertemu dengan Diana. Diana adalah seorang peri yang berasal dari sumpit yang dia jepretkan.
Diana memberikan 6 pelajaran penting buat Johnny dan kita tentunya sebagai pembaca, diantaranya adalah:
1. Tidak ada rencana.
2. Pikirkan kekuatan, bukan kelemahan. (Itulah pekerjaan yang Anda kuasai daripada di mana Anda harus mengatasi kelemahan.)
3. Ini bukan tentang Anda. (Berkontribusi ke tim, proyek, dkk.)
4. Ketekunan mengalahkan bakat. (Tidak, itu tidak bertentangan 2. Pikirkanlah.)
5. Membuat kesalahan yang sangat baik.
6. Tinggalkan jejak (ke mana pun Anda pergi).
Jadi tunggu apalagi, Silahkan dibaca bukunya .
Buku ini berceritakan tentang petualangan seorang karyawan yang bernama Johny Bunko. seorang karyawan yang sudah mulai jenuh dengan dunianya. tapi, di kemudian hari dia bertemu dengan Diana. Diana adalah seorang peri yang berasal dari sumpit yang dia jepretkan.
Diana memberikan 6 pelajaran penting buat Johnny dan kita tentunya sebagai pembaca, diantaranya adalah:
1. Tidak ada rencana.
2. Pikirkan kekuatan, bukan kelemahan. (Itulah pekerjaan yang Anda kuasai daripada di mana Anda harus mengatasi kelemahan.)
3. Ini bukan tentang Anda. (Berkontribusi ke tim, proyek, dkk.)
4. Ketekunan mengalahkan bakat. (Tidak, itu tidak bertentangan 2. Pikirkanlah.)
5. Membuat kesalahan yang sangat baik.
6. Tinggalkan jejak (ke mana pun Anda pergi).
Jadi tunggu apalagi, Silahkan dibaca bukunya .
April 8, 2018
I'd first heard of Daniel Pink when he published "A Whole New Mind", but this particular book wasn't on my radar until he mentioned it during his recent appearance on The Tim Ferriss podcast (03-25-2018). It's a departure from what I expect from DHP, and I somewhat like the idea behind delivering career advice dramatically through manga, but I can also see why it didn't catch on.
The artwork is decent, and it's a quick read-- easily done in a single sitting. The dramatic story feels a bit like a puppet show contrived to deliver the 6 principles, unfortunately. Not quite as bad as the old after-school specials, but also nowhere nearly as good as the moral fable created with O'Malley's "Seconds." (An unrealistic comparison, I know, but that's the level/bar which has been set in my mind recently.)
The artwork is decent, and it's a quick read-- easily done in a single sitting. The dramatic story feels a bit like a puppet show contrived to deliver the 6 principles, unfortunately. Not quite as bad as the old after-school specials, but also nowhere nearly as good as the moral fable created with O'Malley's "Seconds." (An unrealistic comparison, I know, but that's the level/bar which has been set in my mind recently.)
July 3, 2019
Presented in manga format, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is an easy to read, entertaining book that provides career advice. Johnny Bunko is stuck in a dead-end job. One night, while working late, he finds himself in possession of magical, disposable chopsticks. Every time he snap apart a set of chopsticks, Diana, a strange woman shows up, to answer career questions.
The advice Johnny receives is; there is no plan, think strength not weaknesses, it's not about you, persistence trumps talent, make excellent mistakes, and leave an imprint. While all of the above, are valid, this book, like other career books, is backed by the assumption that we all have a skill or interest that should be the basis of our decisions. Unfortunately, some people have no idea what they're interested in, or what makes them happy, as they just go through the motions of daily living.
The advice Johnny receives is; there is no plan, think strength not weaknesses, it's not about you, persistence trumps talent, make excellent mistakes, and leave an imprint. While all of the above, are valid, this book, like other career books, is backed by the assumption that we all have a skill or interest that should be the basis of our decisions. Unfortunately, some people have no idea what they're interested in, or what makes them happy, as they just go through the motions of daily living.
June 2, 2021
This book probably won't change your life but it's a very cool way to actually provide sensible career advice in an un-pretentious and un-pompous manner. Agreed that most of it tends towards motherhood statements ('Make excellent mistakes' anyone?) but that doesn't mean they're invalid...
I would probably have appreciated it fresh out of college, but even later some of these pieces of advice are useful and they're explained in a succinct manner without it seeming like some old fogey is farting gyaan when you're supposed to say smart things to interns and younger people in the workplace :-D
Extra points for being a book which can be read cover to cover within the hour and is not extended long beyond it's scope (so essentially it is an HBR article in manga form)
I would probably have appreciated it fresh out of college, but even later some of these pieces of advice are useful and they're explained in a succinct manner without it seeming like some old fogey is farting gyaan when you're supposed to say smart things to interns and younger people in the workplace :-D
Extra points for being a book which can be read cover to cover within the hour and is not extended long beyond it's scope (so essentially it is an HBR article in manga form)
November 19, 2020
Really like the format of using a graphic novel to share the top 5 career insights Daniel Pink determine to be required to lead a successful career. Some of which are probably cliché (you've heard them before) and others might be counter to your beliefs.
It isn't as riveting or as in-depth as his other books, but I think that's by design. The illustrations and the messaging are clear, easy-to-follow and leave a lasting impression.
Probably won't answer all your existential questions or thoughts on your career path, but definitely worth a pickup. I'm willing to bet you'll find at least one key insight in there that's relevant to you.
It isn't as riveting or as in-depth as his other books, but I think that's by design. The illustrations and the messaging are clear, easy-to-follow and leave a lasting impression.
Probably won't answer all your existential questions or thoughts on your career path, but definitely worth a pickup. I'm willing to bet you'll find at least one key insight in there that's relevant to you.
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