How to Start
Discovering Your Life's Work - from the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
Published on 21. April 2026
Book
Hardback
128 pages
978-1-0372-0840-9 (ISBN)
Description
'A model of real, grounded, hard-headed optimism in these days of crisis and anxiety - useful not only for new graduates but for all of us' Oliver Burkeman, bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks
Jodi Kantor's ground-breaking reporting has toppled media magnates, sparked reform worldwide and foretold many of the unsettling changes we see in the workplace today. But before all of this, Kantor was kicked off her college newspaper. Society expects perfection, but Kantor knows those first professional steps are often rocky. She also knows that younger generations today are facing new and frightening terrain, with political upheaval, skyrocketing costs of living and the unknowns of AI.
Kantor casts aside platitudes and false hope to offer tangible help. Work is how we spend much of our time. It's our engine of progress: how cancer therapies are invented, political campaigns won, thrilling art created and matched with an audience. Instead of letting cynicism take over, Kantor identifies two principles to help young people discover their life's work: craft and need. By pairing the two, they can navigate tough, sensitive choices: how to think about money. How much risk to take on. When to buck what others are saying.
Powerful and provocative, How to Start is a statement of faith for young people to keep in their back pocket as they make their way through uncertain times, and offers wisdom, strategy and a set of aspirations to launch their careers and last their whole lives.
Jodi Kantor's ground-breaking reporting has toppled media magnates, sparked reform worldwide and foretold many of the unsettling changes we see in the workplace today. But before all of this, Kantor was kicked off her college newspaper. Society expects perfection, but Kantor knows those first professional steps are often rocky. She also knows that younger generations today are facing new and frightening terrain, with political upheaval, skyrocketing costs of living and the unknowns of AI.
Kantor casts aside platitudes and false hope to offer tangible help. Work is how we spend much of our time. It's our engine of progress: how cancer therapies are invented, political campaigns won, thrilling art created and matched with an audience. Instead of letting cynicism take over, Kantor identifies two principles to help young people discover their life's work: craft and need. By pairing the two, they can navigate tough, sensitive choices: how to think about money. How much risk to take on. When to buck what others are saying.
Powerful and provocative, How to Start is a statement of faith for young people to keep in their back pocket as they make their way through uncertain times, and offers wisdom, strategy and a set of aspirations to launch their careers and last their whole lives.
Reviews / Votes
A model of real, grounded, hard-headed optimism in these days of crisis and anxiety - useful not only for new graduates but for all of us * Oliver Burkeman, bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks * Jodi Kantor has written the antidote to both toxic hustle culture and passive despair. She doesn't sugarcoat the brutal realities facing young people today, but she refuses to accept defeat. Drawing on decades of investigative reporting and her own hard-won experience, Kantor charts a path between cynicism and naivety. Smart, practical, and moving. A clear-eyed, generous book for confusing times * Jennette McCurdy, author of HALF HIS AGE and I'M GLAD MY MOM DIED * Kantor doesn't show us how to do it her way; she shows us how to find our own way. Young people, people starting over, and those wondering what comes next will love and appreciate this inspiring yet practical guide * Ashley C. Ford, author of SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER * In this current storm of unease and uncertainty, Kantor's wisdom is a jolt of hope. Full of practical advice and hard truths, this book is a must read for anyone at the beginning of a career journey * Shonda Rhimes, producer, TV writer and author of YEAR OF YES * The moment of starting is so important - and so challenging. Kantor makes it easier, with practical suggestions and real-life examples. I dog-eared passages to send to my daughters immediately * Gretchen Rubin, author of THE HAPPINESS PROJECT * A wonderful book. When I'm doing talks or meet young people, they always ask me for career advice and how to start, and I highly recommend this book. Pick this little gem up -- Padma LakshmiMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 183 mm
Width: 136 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
192 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0372-0840-9 (9781037208409)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2026
Bloomsbury eBooks UK
€12.49
Available for download
Person
Jodi Kantor began her journalism career by dropping out of Harvard Law School to join Slate.com in 1998. Four years later, she became the Arts & Leisure editor of the New York Times. For six years, she wrote about former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. Her book The Obamas chronicles their behind-the-scenes adjustment to the roles of president and first lady. Kantor's reporting with Meghan Twohey on Harvey Weinstein won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. She has recently turned her attention to the US Supreme Court and joined the Washington bureau's reporting team full-time. Kantor lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and two children.