The Modern Maverick: Why Writing Your Own Rules Is Better for You, Your Business, and the World

This underwhelming debut from career coach Haddon offers guidance on how readers can “close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.” He outlines a four-step program for achieving one’s goals: identify “your version of success,” decide how to best spend one’s time, attain work/life balance, and establish a plan to follow one’s dreams. To gain insight on one’s priorities, Haddon encourages readers to rank their values and passions and ask themselves: “What upsets you, what makes you happy?” Unfortunately, the material on how to “balance” personal, social, and professional obligations amounts to cursory advice on diet (“Eat a wide variety of plant-based food”), love (time with one’s partner “is key”), and finding a line of work (consider what professions one would pursue if given a free year to do so). Throughout, Haddon recommends using the SMART framework—which states that objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (having a concrete deadline)—when devising a plan to reach one’s goals. There’s not much here that’s new, and Haddon’s decision to touch on nearly every corner of readers’ lives leaves his advice feeling unfocused. This bites off more than it can chew. (June)