Jodi Kantor

Provide for yourself for better, be fulfilled,

help other people in some way.

That to me is the goal of education and the goal of a good life.

And doing that requires some balancing.

I don't like these extremes where students feel like they have to either choose a path of self-sacrifice and self-abnegation on the one hand, or like a kind of relentless pursuit of opulence.

Look, I think to be happy, we need all three.

What would you like people to know most about this book?

Thank you so much for asking.

I want people and young people to not give up before they start.

It's really hard out there.

That failure is possible, disappointment and frustration certain for all of us.

However, if you give up the search for a satisfying work life now, you're putting it further down.

out of reach and even in these times and in some cases even kind of because of these times I think it's still possible to have a fulfilling and productive work life but we need to help you because starting has always been hard and we need to bring you all the help we can

I don't see this as much as an advice book as sort of a guide for living, a guide for young people to understand what the world is doing and how to maximize their opportunities during these crazy times.

Near the end of the book, you describe a moment that will come when someone has to decide whether to refuse to settle and take themselves seriously.

How does someone recognize that moment when it arrives?

And is there anything that you would recommend to give young people the courage to seize that moment when it happens?

Absolutely.

A lot of the happiest and most successful people I know had this critical moment where they could have given up.

They could have done the easier thing.