About the Book:
Everything changed when he discovered his passions: politics and journalism.
VandeHei went on to cover the presidency and cofound two of the biggest modern news outlets, Politico and Axios, the media companies that upended and revolutionized journalism. He took notes every step of the way. And in Just the Good Stuff, his debut as a solo author, VandeHei writes the book he wishes someone had handed him when he was floundering—not a compendium of conventional wisdom but a real-world guide to achieving that other “good stuff,” health, wealth, happiness, all the blessings and exquisite pleasures we loosely group under that oft used but still under-appreciated rubric—success.
Delivered in his hallmark no-word-wasted style, VandeHei offers essential, no-BS guidance on how to handle everything from finding a calling to building a team to navigating the realities of a changing workplace, showing us that no matter how inauspicious our beginnings, no matter how far down the ladder we begin, no matter what kind of challenges we face, a fulfilling life is within our reach.
My Review:
Insights gained through experience are often the best kind and here VandeHei shares his. The chapters are short and easy to read and digest. Part of his philosophy is brevity and he does a good job of it in this book. He includes bullet points to clarify chapter main ideas and why they matter.
My favorite chapter was on simplicity. He suggests regularly doing a simplicity audit of life and work. We would all have less stuff and more efficient work forces if we followed his advice.
VandeHei's goal is not to help readers cure their deficiencies. His writing on insecurity, for example, is how to spot it and crush it. He spent years believing he could change insecure people, finally realizing it can't be done. On how not to be insecure, he says take it up with a therapist. (1723/2669)
There is nothing I found earth shaking in this book. It does contained insights into leadership honed by years of making good and bad decisions. VandeHei is not shy in admitting his own errors and what he learned from them. This is a good book for those desiring to be the best leaders possible, learning from one who has had much experience.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
About the Author:
Jim VandeHei is the co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Axios, a media company focused on breaking news and invaluable insights across business, politics, technology and the world. Axios helps readers and viewers get smarter, faster across the consequential topics reshaping our country and lives. As CEO, VandeHei has steered Axios into becoming one of the most celebrated digital media success stories of the past decade. VandeHei is also an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning docu-news series, “Axios on HBO.”
Before Axios, VandeHei co-founded and was CEO of Politico, the media company that upended and revolutionized political and policy journalism in Washington, New York, and Europe. Overseeing both the editorial and business teams, VandeHei was the leading strategist behind its highly scalable and successful business model. Prior to this, VandeHei spent more than a decade as a reporter, covering the Presidency and Congress for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. He was named national Editor of the Year in 2016.
VandeHei is from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)
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