Major in Success, 4th Ed: Make College Easier, Fire up Your Dreams, and Get a Very Cool Job: Make College Easier, Fire Up Your Dreams, and Get a Very Cool Job. 4th Edition [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

I personally met Patrick Combs my first year on campus. He really knows what he is talking about when it comes to success. This book landed me an intership with Merrill Lynch and a possible carreer landing. If there is one book to read, this is the one.

College students need more guidance in how to turn their talents, curiosity, and passions into successful careers. Most guidance offices and books on the subject will be inadequate for these purposes. While this book has some weaknesses in helping you select the direction you should go in, it is superb in helping you pursue your goals once they are set. The book could use more material on how to learn from other students, and more on financial planning (especially now that so many students leave college with enormous debt loads). The writing style is witty and engaging, and the examples are interesting and relevant. Repetition does occur in using the examples, but it's not too bad. I recommend this book to any college student who wants to lead a more meaningful, enjoyable life during and after college. This book would be most helpful if read before the freshman year, and reread occasionally thereafter.

The book's main flaw is that it urges you to select a career direction based on your passions. That's good as far as it goes, but isn't sufficient. I remember a graduate school classmate who was passionate about dating young women. He found out that this was easiest to do as an airline executive, and that's the career he chose. He had no inherent interest in the industry, and after he married, I could see how this career and passion could lead to problems in a marriage. On the other hand, he was very curious about how people made decisions, and was very talented in that area. There are a number of careers that would have made use of those talents, and also helped him meet a reasonable number of young women to date. That's my example of why passion isn't enough for choosing a career.

You also have to think about curiousity and what the rest of your life will be like. What would you like to learn more about every day for the rest of your life? That curiousity is what will drive you to accomplish and enjoy your work the most. Even if you aren't particularly talented in that area now, curiosity will help you develop talent beyond those who have more innate ability. Most innovations come from people who do things in new ways because of limitations (in part, Jackson Pollock did drip paintings because he did not draw very well).

The book's strengths are the many useful and appropriate suggestions for how to develop the experience, knowledge, and credentials to attract a shot at developing a career you want. What he describes are the best ways to do this, based on my experience in having hired lots of college graduates over the years.

There are also lists of places to get even more information, depending on what you want to learn more about. These sources will encourage you to look around more than you otherwise would. Summer is a good time to do this kind of research.

Parents, unless your daughter or son always happily does what you suggest, I would not encourage giving this book as a gift. This book needs to be discovered by the student to do the most good. Hopefully, college students will share the book with one another. If you think your student's roommate would read it, give the book to the roommate. Then, let nature take its course.

By the way, the book is good at pointing out the trade-offs between higher grades and more activities. As a hirer, I always ask people basic questions about the subjects they have studied and test their knowledge and skill that way. I don't care whether it was learned in class or in an activity. Be prepared!

After you finish reading this book, think about how you could apply its principles to the activities you would like to do as hobbies throughout the rest of your life. You never know, those hobbies might also develop into career opportunities. In any event, you will live a richer, more enjoyable life.

Make the most out of your curiosity, your passion and your energy!

This was by far the best book I have ever bought my son. Full of really remarkable information and best yet he loved reading it. Parents buy this book for your kids it will lead them in a positive direction.