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Nobodies to Somebodies: How 100 Great Careers Got Their Start
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Sales rank 859,564
Customers rating (based on 13 reviews)
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Peter Han cofounded a software company soon after college and sold it a few years later. By any measure he was already successful, but he still was curious about how others found long-term meaning in their work. So he set out to learn what a diverse group of influential "somebodies" had done back when they were still "nobodies." Nobodies to Somebodies is based on Han’s interviews with one hundred fascinating people who figured out how to find and pursue big opportunities. They span a wide range of fields, including politics (former Senator Bill Bradley), business (Reebok CEO Paul Fireman), acting (John Lithgow), activism (Sierra Club president Larry Fahn), writing (Tom Clancy), science (Nobel Prize physicist Anthony Leggett), and the nonprofit world (Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp). Han synthesizes fourteen big lessons that anyone can apply, including: • Pay the rent first, conquer the world later • Become the big fish by mastering the small pond • Learn when to stay and when to go Nobodies to Somebodies blends inspiring stories with the proven wisdom of one hundred somebodies who haven’t forgotten what it was like to be nobody.
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| Publisher | Portfolio Hardcover | | Release date | 05/2005 | | Availability | | | Edition | Hardcover |
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 An inspirational read of getting from nowhere to somewhere
It's easy for most of us to believe that successful individuals had an easy go of it - no problems, no setbacks. For them it was just one smooth rocket ride straight to the top. But that's not how success usually tracks. To those who walk it, the path to success is usually marked by challenges that include: false starts, hard stops, creative dry spells, floods of discouragement and circuitous wanderings - to name a few. In his evocative book titled - Nobodies to Somebodies - author Peter Han maps the varied success paths traveled by 100 highly accomplished individuals ranging from athletes, politicians, scientists, writers and executives. Han's goal is to chronicle how talented, self-proclaimed "Nobodies" with little or no experience were able to parley themselves into successful "Somebodies," while trying to identify the common lessons learned along the way. Soundview recommends this inspirational read because it focuses on the daily obstacles, uncertainties, choices and coping skills that these successful individuals faced before they were famous, fulfilled and financially secure. This is an exceptional book for any individual who is currently in a j-o-b that is not their "true calling" yet believe there is something inside of them that's driving them on the path from nowhere to somewhere, in their personal transformation from a nobody to a somebody.
Interesting Cross-Section of Careers
This book can be viewed as an individualized version of In Search of Excellence - a survey of the successful, with some extrapolations with what they have in common. Unlike In Search of Excellence, this book focuses on individual people - artists, scientists, business people and community leaders.
Some of the observations are obvious - these people worked hard! Others are less obvious. Many had career paths that involved twists and turns on the way up. Most had setbacks. Many gave up traditional trappings of power such as golf.
The one knock on the book is the main complaint with In Search of Excellence - by only searching the Great, the book lacks some of the academic rigor that would've come with comparison companies. This doesn't detract from the book if you take it for what it is - stories based on interviews of the successful. Hard not to learn from that.
 Poor writing
This book seems like a scholar investigation. Very poor writing, it did not attract my interest. The only thing that is worth reading, are 2 or 3 interesting comments from some CEO`s.
 Nice surprise
I've never written a review before, but I wanted to in this case because this book provided insights I didn't expect. I read this one just to try something new and I was happy to get quite a lot out of it. It's a unique twist on the "secrets to success" books out there, in that the writer is so young, so I think that causes his fresh style of writing. I guess that's what I like about the book - fresh writing style, fresh ideas, and a nice overall perspective on life and business success.
Inside glimpses: How 100 VIPS, CEOs and stars got started
Imagine a workplace seminar taught by the top executives of Fortune 1000 companies or best-selling authors, Nobel Prize laureates and Tony award-winning performers. Such a workshop may seem like a dream, but author Peter Han fulfills it. He gives you quality time with 100 "somebodies" who used to be "nobodies," some of the sharpest minds in business, government, academia, the arts and nonprofit leadership. These executives, elected officials, scientists and entertainers explain how they rose to the top (even if they were directionless as "twenty-somethings") and they offer thoughtful advice about attaining success. Han compiles their counsel into 14 interesting, useful career lessons. However, the book might have been even more helpful if he had included additional information on a few specific management topics such as coping with discrimination and politics in the workplace. Nevertheless, we recommend Han's analysis of his close-up conversations with 100 achievers and welcomes this collection of valuable advice.
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