David181173
New Member
A couple of books worth mentioning that are broadly related to this discussion: a novel called "Take One Young Man" by Vivian Kelly, and a non-fiction book called "What Should I Do With My Life?" by Po Bronson.
I read the first about three or four years ago. It captures brilliantly how it feels to reach your mid-twenties and then ask 'is this it?' The hero decides to give some meaning to his life by joining a polar expedition, but the book isn't about the expedition but rather about what happens before he sets off. I heartily recommend it.
The Po Bronson book is one I haven't read, but I heard him talking about it on Radio 4 during the week and it sounds interesting. It is a series of case studies about a number of people who decided to change their course and what happened to them. Some succeeded, others did not. An amusing example cited in the radio interview was someone who decided to retrain for a medical career but gave up when she discovered it would be continually bringing her into contact with sick people!
If I do ever read Bronson's book I'll report back.
I read the first about three or four years ago. It captures brilliantly how it feels to reach your mid-twenties and then ask 'is this it?' The hero decides to give some meaning to his life by joining a polar expedition, but the book isn't about the expedition but rather about what happens before he sets off. I heartily recommend it.
The Po Bronson book is one I haven't read, but I heard him talking about it on Radio 4 during the week and it sounds interesting. It is a series of case studies about a number of people who decided to change their course and what happened to them. Some succeeded, others did not. An amusing example cited in the radio interview was someone who decided to retrain for a medical career but gave up when she discovered it would be continually bringing her into contact with sick people!
If I do ever read Bronson's book I'll report back.