Choose Yourself!
by James Altucher · 2013
Altucher's manifesto for the post-institution era: bet on yourself, not a boss.
Worth reading? Choose Yourself argues the old deal (loyalty for security) is dead; you must build skills, health, and income yourself. Cynical but liberating. Skip it if you've already opted out of the corporate ladder.
| Author | James Altucher |
|---|---|
| Published | 2013 |
| Category | Self-Improvement & Psychology |
| Favorite quote | “Choose yourself.” |
The Verdict
Choose Yourself argues the old deal (loyalty for security) is dead; you must build skills, health, and income yourself. Cynical but liberating. Skip it if you’ve already opted out of the corporate ladder.
people who've been laid off or want independence from broken systems
you already build multiple income streams on your own terms
Book Summary
Altucher's manifesto for the post-institution era: bet on yourself, not a boss. It earns its place by giving you a clear lens you can apply, not just inspiration. The old loyalty-for-security deal is broken. Invest in yourself, health, mind, and skills. The practical move is to read it once, then act on the one idea that maps to your current bottleneck, rereading the whole thing rarely adds more than executing the part you skipped.
Top 10 Lessons from Choose Yourself!
- The old loyalty-for-security deal is broken.
- Invest in yourself, health, mind, and skills.
- Build multiple income streams, not one job.
- Daily practice compounds into opportunity.
- Choose yourself before the world chooses for you.
- Run a daily practice covering physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health, in that order.
- Treat idea generation as a muscle: write down ten ideas a day to build creative capacity.
- Rock bottom can be a launchpad if you use it to rebuild from scratch instead of waiting to be rescued.
- Stop waiting for permission — no institution is coming to guarantee your security.
- Treat relationships and reputation as compounding assets, not just money.
Top 5 Quotes from Choose Yourself!
"The only truly safe thing is to take control of your own life."
James Altucher, Choose Yourself!
"Choose yourself."
James Altucher, Choose Yourself!
"30 percent will love it, 30 percent will hate it, and 30 percent won't care. Stick with the people who love you and don't spend a single second on the rest."
James Altucher, Choose Yourself!
"Forget purpose. It's okay to be happy without one. The quest for a single purpose has ruined many lives."
James Altucher, Choose Yourself!
"First we become better as individuals. You can't help others if you look in the mirror and hate what you see."
James Altucher, Choose Yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Choose Yourself! worth reading?
Yes, if the description fits you, people who've been laid off or want independence from broken systems. Skip it if you already build multiple income streams on your own terms.
What is the main idea of Choose Yourself!?
Choose Yourself argues the old deal (loyalty for security) is dead; you must build skills, health, and income yourself.
Who should read Choose Yourself!?
People who've been laid off or want independence from broken systems. Skip it if you already build multiple income streams on your own terms.
What will you get out of Choose Yourself!?
A clearer, opinionated take you can act on, plus the sharpest lessons pulled into a short list so you don't have to read the whole book to decide.
Ready to read it?
Get Choose Yourself! on Amazon
