Book Review: Be a Free Range Human

I first met Marianne Cantwell at a marketing workshop maybe a couple of years ago. She’s bubbly, confident and runs her business around the world from just a rucksack and a laptop.

Next January, her book: Be A Free Range Human is released (you can also get a free chapter – see the last section of this post).

Now, if you’re reading this blog you might be a small or large business looking to improve your content marketing or business blogging, or you might be a freelance copywriter looking for copywriting tips to help attract (and serve) your next client.

Either way, you’re proactive in your marketing and want to take control of your business or freelance service.

This coincides with the purpose of Marianne’s book which is all about designing a self-employed lifestyle or business you love.

What’s it about?

You may have noticed that things are changing when it comes to work and business. There’s no longer the same trail of school – university – job – career advancement – retirement – golf – death.

Marianne embraces this idea and tells you that you can design a lifestyle that pays you an income you want. It’s not a get rich quick book, which I like. And it is not a simple good-feeling, “anyone can do it!” promise of overnight fame and riches.

It’s how to look at your personality, strengths and dreams (big dreams) and then practically think how to design a feasible business or freelance service around those things.

Overall impression

The book is easy to read and you can whizz through Marianne’s conversational writing style in a few hours to leave you feeling pumped and positive about the future.

However the real beauty is the immense amount of work that has gone into including the resources, exercises and further reading to help you transform your newfound inspiration into useful action.

This combination of enthusiasm and practical application is what stops this being just another business / self-help / personal-development book.

Think: far more substance than a book of motivational quotes, but less boring and stuffy than a traditional business book.

What’s inside

It’s split into 4 parts:

 

• Part 1: Getting ready for the ride
• Part 2: Creating your free range life
• Part 3: Think like a free range human
• Part 3: Build your free range escape hatch

 

 

Marianne explains why things are so different today and why you no longer have to be a slave to the commute and office job if you don’t want to be.

Then she encourages you and guides you through dreaming big dreams to give you inspiration of what your new career / business / lifestyle looks like.

This isn’t just “what do you want to do?” questions either. She’s got a pretty good grasp on human psychology and personality tests to give you plenty of methods to get to the bottom of what you really want, even if you think you’re not sure.

Then you can read about plenty of different ways you can live a “free range” lifestyle. The different types of businesses you can run or the services you can offer.

Finally it’s about getting started – NOT making another plan, which I like.

Who it’s for

This is primarily aimed at someone who is in a job they hate and feels like there is more to life career wise. Having said that, it had some great marketing ideas which sparked ideas for my own plans next year.

If work feels too much like work, it’s worth checking out.

How to find out more

The book is released on January 3rd, but you can snag yourself a free chapter by heading over to Marianne’s site here.