How to Start - by Jodi Kantor (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER

With warmth, honesty, and inspired wisdom, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jodi Kantor expands on her triumphant Columbia University commencement address, tackling the question, "How, in this environment, is anyone supposed to find and start their life's work?"

Jodi Kantor's groundbreaking reporting has toppled media magnates, sparked reform worldwide, and foretold many of the unsettling changes we see in the workplace today. But before all of this, Kantor was kicked off her college newspaper. Society expects perfection, but Kantor knows those first professional steps are often rocky. She also knows that young people are facing new and frightening terrain, with political upheaval, skyrocketing costs of living, and the unknowns of AI.

Kantor casts aside platitudes and false hope to offer tangible help. Work is how we spend much of our time. It's our engine of progress: how cancer therapies are invented, political campaigns won, thrilling art created and matched with an audience. Instead of letting cynicism take over, Kantor identifies two principles to help young people discover their life's work: craft and need. By pairing the two, they can navigate tough, sensitive choices: how to think about money. How much risk to take on. When to buck what others are saying.

Powerful and provocative, How to Start is a statement of faith for young people as they make their way through uncertain times, offering wisdom, strategy, and a set of aspirations to launch their careers and last their whole lives.

Review Quotes

"Money is always a great graduation gift, but if you're looking ​for other ideas, I recommend Jodi Kantor's new book, 'How to Start.'"--Reuters

"Kantor does the impossible: a slim book filled with job-hunting advice that is profoundly philosophical and expansively existential but also incredibly practical, too. Everyone is getting this as a graduation gift. Act surprised."--Catherine Newman, author of Sandwich

"Offering a practical but high-EQ approach to climbing the jungle gym that's replaced the old career ladder. [Kantor] cuts through the noise of our turbulent moment to focus to something timeless: Mastering a craft over time doesn't just make you better at your job; it helps build identity, pride, even a sense of meaning."--Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn

"A wonderful book. When I'm doing talks or meet young people, they always ask me for career advice and how to start, and I highly recommend this book. Pick this little gem up."--Padma Lakshmi

"This book is exceptional. It is loving. It is wise. It is useful. It is inspirational. Parts gave me chills. How to Start will be a treasure for the next generation and a challenge to ours."--Rabbi Rachel Timoner

"[Kantor's] exhortation to self-discovery, bravery, and, above all, optimism, also manages to feel restorative, and almost radical. A hopeful and encouraging reframing for recent college graduates."--Kirkus

"In this current storm of unease and uncertainty, Kantor's wisdom is a jolt of hope. Full of practical advice and hard truths, this book is a must read for anyone at the beginning of a career journey."--Shonda Rhimes, producer, TV writer, and author of Year of Yes

"Kantor doesn't show us how to do it her way; she shows us how to find our own way. Young people, people starting over, and those wondering what comes next will love and appreciate this inspiring yet practical guide."--Ashley C. Ford, author of Somebody's Daughter

"A model of real, grounded, hard-headed optimism in these days of crisis and anxiety - useful not only for new graduates but for all of us."--Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks

"I loved it. LOVED IT. I will be gifting copies to every emerging adult I know."--Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure

"Kantor has written the antidote to both toxic hustle culture and passive despair. She doesn't sugarcoat the brutal realities facing young people today, but she refuses to accept defeat. Drawing on decades of investigative reporting and her own hard-won experience, she charts a path between cynicism and naivety. Smart, practical, and moving. A clear-eyed, generous book for confusing times."--Jennette McCurdy, author of Half His Age and I'm Glad My Mom Died

"The moment of starting is so important - and so challenging. Kantor makes it easier, with practical suggestions and real-life examples. I dog-eared passages to send to my daughters immediately."--Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

About the Author

Jodi Kantor is a New York Times investigative reporter who has revealed hidden truths about power, technology, gender, law, and employment. In 2017, she and Megan Twohey exposed Harvey Weinstein's treatment of women, setting off the worldwide #Metoo reckoning. They were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service and co-authored She Said, a book taking readers inside their investigation, also made into a film. Recently, she has been working to illuminate one of our most secretive and critical institutions, the Supreme Court. Kantor lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Ron Lieber and their two children. She began her journalism career by dropping out of law school, and she speaks at campuses across the country about finding work of meaning.