Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Political economy

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING

George Anders

The Surprising Power of a ‘Useless’ Liberal Arts Education

An illuminating book on the value of a liberal-arts education in a tech-dominated world. Anders argues that the skills that a liberal-arts education cultivates—teamwork, clear writing, creative problem-solving, empathy, and strong oral communications—can open doors to cutting-edge jobs and translate into higher earnings over time. Good news for thousands of educated millenials fearing for their careers (and their parents)!

There are no underground bunkers of supercomputers at the heart of the Uber miracle. No cloisters of silent technicians guiding Etsy to its marketplace dominance. Google HQ looks more like a Scandinavian parliament than a server farm. The truth is, the tech boom has less to do with a massive explosion of silicon and aluminum, and much more to do with a massive expansion of the points of contact between humans and machines.

George Anders's YOU CAN DO ANYTHING is shaped by the insight that the leading lights at so many ostensibly "tech" firms have deep backgrounds in the humanities—history, sociology, and, yes, English. Something about those backgrounds unlocked potential that hordes of anonymous MBAs and BSs can only wish for.

Combining reportage, academic studies, close contact with tech and business luminaries, fast action-oriented distillations, and many years of experience reading the invisible magnetic waves of the business and creator worlds, Anders is writing the book that will upset (cf: "disrupt") the conversation between the STEM and the innumerate, between Mountain View and Main Street, and between parents and children. We all have the power to think on our feet, to rally others, and to embrace the exception. We just need to realize the power. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING points us in that direction and shoves.

George Andersis a contributing writer at Forbes, exploring issues related to careers, education and innovation, and a certified LinkedIn Influencer with 170,000 followers. He is the author of five books, including Merchants of Debt, Health Against Wealth, the New York Times bestseller Perfect Enough, and The Rare Find. Earlier in his career, George served as a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company magazine, and Bloomberg View. In 1997, he shared in a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. He and his wife live in northern California, and their two sons are starting their own college adventures.

Available products
Book Published 2017-08-01 by Little Brown
Book Published 2017-08-01 by Little Brown

Comments

Anders' latest book isa must-readfor liberal arts students and grads. Packed with relatable stories and role models, it not only inspires you with stories about what liberal arts grads have done with their educations, but also gives you a clear map to find your own path in the world.

The career stories of liberal arts graduates provide the best argument for the value of their education. George Anders, in his thoughtful new bookYou Can Do Anything, tells these stories in a compelling manner, weaving the threads of their education into the tapestry of their lives, demonstrating over and over why employers should seek out these unique thinkers. An interesting read and valuable for any liberal arts graduate or recruiter!

George Anders may be the best thing that’s happened to the humanities and social sciences since the dawn of the modern university.Reporting from the front lines of the 21stcentury’s enigmatic workplace, Anders slays the sacred cow of STEM and shows us precisely why majors like Philosophy, History, and Anthropology teach the skills employers can’t outsource to robots and software.With evidence that Silicon Valley “now hires more liberal arts majors than engineers” from job descriptions that seek “rapport” and “empathy,” and with studies showing “high-paying, difficult-to-automate jobs increasingly require social skills,” students inclined in those directions should feel not only reassurance or permission but an actual obligation to go there, for their own sake, and for the sake of us all. Bravo to Anders – promises to be a game-changer.I predict tens of thousands of young adults will tell skeptical parents, ‘read Anders’.

Utterly fascinating and massively important. George Anders peers into his signature crystal ball, and paints a portrait of the future of work that’s as compelling as it is provocative. I can’t wait to tell everyone I know to drop what they’re doing and read this book.

PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING will inspire a new generation to greater heights, while delivering a much-needed wake-up call to campus leaders and employers who have been squandering talent for too long. I can’t wait to see it in print.