I really think this book should have been an article. The main theme of the book was fairly simple and the examples became very repetitive.

Funny written but,
Definitely not the most important thing I wish I knew when I was 20 =-=
Gave so many examples but only explain the surface =-=?

Give yourself permission to experiment.

bleh

I bought this book in 2015 and it's been sitting on my shelf since. Since it's been almost a decade, I decided it's time to read it in fear of the advice expiring just like day old milk.

Seelig is obviously a very established university professor, and it shows, because this book reads like an undergraduate class. It's full of examples - in fact, for a single point, there's an overwhelming amount of tldc examples that haven't been fleshed out. Reading this book at times felt like we were playing the number game. How many examples can I chock in here to prove that my point is valid? One. Just one is sufficient as long as it is properly explained.

Another disadvantage of giving so many 'contemporary' business examples is that it doesn't age well. The examples, whilst relevant, no longer work well as examples because they aren't brands that are on the forefront of people's minds anymore. This edition was first published in 2009, if I had read it then, maybe this wouldn't be a problem (although I'd still be a teenager hence introducing another problem), but in 2022, most of these brands are either no longer in existence, or 20 year olds have never heard of them. Context clues are very helpful but the impact has been lost.

This book reads like an undergraduate class but I was after a masters thesis. However, Seelig makes good points, and as I'm closer to 30 than I am to 20, I fully agree these are some good points every entrepreneurial young person needs to know.

Quite disappointed with this book. Rather than general advice for 20-year-olds, this is instead a long series of anecdotes displaying the power of entrepreneurship.
In that regard, this book is excellent, and could be consumed by all ages. However, as someone who does not have any business aspirations, I felt the title was a false advertisement.

I found this to be an easily-accessible and inspirational book for those needing a push to re-frame their mindset about life changes and risk-taking. There are many examples of Stanford's d.school program assignments that teach students to think outside the box, and while I felt like merely a spectator reading what are undoubtedly hands-on exercises for learning, I still came away with the follow-your-passion and nothing-ventured-nothing-gained message. These examples are reinforced with tales from entrepreneurial kingpins and a few job interview stories.