In 2008, Daniel Seddiqui was a down and out college graduate looking for a job and living with his parents in California.  The job rejections came in one after another and he didn’t know where to turn.  His parents weren’t helping.  They thought he wasn’t trying hard enough.  So one day after another rejection, Daniel has a epiphany and realizes he wanted to live the map.  Why not travel around the U.S. working 50 jobs in 50 states.  The idea was interesting, but how does one go about it?  After calling around the U.S. trying to find jobs that fit the culture of the state and calling his local newspaper who jumped at the story, he began his journey.

Nicknamed Fifty-Fifty early on in his trip, Daniel worked anywhere from a cartographer in North Dakota to an insurance broker in Connecticut and from a marine biologist in Washington, to an auto mechanic in Michigan.  Though his journey was often lonely and grueling, it was rewarding to be able to complete each job and to meet the people who were necessary and vital to his well being.

His five elements of success are:  perserverance, adaptability, networking, risk-taking and endurance. His revelation at the end was that even though the economy is bad and jobs may be scarce, this country is a land of opportunity and you have to work hard to find your dream.

The people he meets and the jobs he does are very interesting and enlightening.  I enjoyed reading about his encounters with people of different cultures and how he learned to adapt to the new situations he found himself in.  I think this book is very informative on how America works and how people need to stop stereotyping others.

Thank you to Mr. Seddiqui, Berrett-Kohler Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.