You Can Do Anything

There are no underground bunkers of supercomputers at the heart of the Uber miracle. No cloisters of silent technicians guiding Etsy to its marketplace dominance. Google HQ looks more like a Scandinavian parliament than a server farm. The truth is, the tech boom has less to do with a massive explosion of silicon and aluminum, and much more to do with a massive expansion of the points of contact between humans and machines.

George Anders's YOU CAN DO ANYTHING is shaped by the insight that the leading lights at so many ostensibly "tech" firms have deep backgrounds in the humanities--history, sociology, and, yes, English. Something about those backgrounds unlocked potential that hordes of anonymous MBAs and BSs can only wish for.

Combining reportage, academic studies, close contact with tech and business luminaries, fast action-oriented distillations, and many years of experience reading the invisible magnetic waves of the business and creator worlds, Anders is writing the book that will upset (cf: "disrupt") the conversation between the STEM and the innumerate, between Mountain View and Main Street, and between parents and children. We all have the power to think on our feet, to rally others, and to embrace the exception. We just need to realize the power. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING points us in that direction and shoves.

“"George Anders has provided a compelling and decisive answer to the recurring question, 'What is the value proposition of a liberal arts education?' Students should have this book in their backpack or on their iPads. So should their parents, teachers, and our policy-makers."-- Frederick M. Lawrence, CEO of Phi Beta Kappa Society”

Praise for You Can Do Anything

"Utterly fascinating and massively important. George Anders peers into his signature crystal ball, and paints a portrait of the future of work that's as compelling as it is provocative."--Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals

"You Can Do Anything is part how-to for humanities types.... Also tells stories about liberal arts students made good.... These are important words of wisdom by a skilled storyteller and a sharp observer of the human condition."--Adam Lashinsky, Fortune
"Anders outlines in detail fast-growing fields in which skills from the liberal arts are required."--Jeffrey J. Selingo, The Washington Post
"Anders shows us precisely why majors like Philosophy, History, and Anthropology teach the skills employers can't outsource to robots and software... students should feel not only reassurance or permission but an actual obligation to go there, for their own sake, and for the sake of us all.'"--Julia Lythcott-Haims, author of How to Raise an Adult and former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford University
"Anders' latest book is a must-read for liberal arts students and grads. Packed with relatable stories and role models, it not only inspires you with stories about what liberal arts grads have done with their educations, but also gives you a clear map to find your own path in the world."--Laszlo Bock, author of Work Rules!, former SVP of People Operations at Google, and CEO of Humu, Inc.
"As a parent about to send her second child off to college--this one has a theater major--George Anders' book was not just a good show topic, but a balm to my soul."--Krys Boyd, host of KERA's "Think"
"As another academic year begins... [You Can Do Anything is a] salutary reminder... that what is learned on campus should have its greatest value beyond the university."--Wall Street Journal
"At the present moment... it is only liberal arts majors who have to wonder whether all of the articles and books promoting the marketability of their chosen discipline should make them more or less uneasy about the future. Two additions to this growing field have appeared just in time to try to sooth the post-graduation panic.. [including] You Can Do Anything.... [Anders] suppl[ies] useful talking points in support of the financial viability of studying the liberal arts."--Timothy Aubry, New York Times Book Review
"George Anders has provided a compelling and decisive answer to the recurring question, 'What is the value proposition of a liberal arts education?' Students should have this book in their backpack or on their iPads. So should their parents, teachers, and our policy-makers."--Frederick M. Lawrence, CEO of Phi Beta Kappa Society
"Give this to anyone who is questioning the value of a classical education in today's fast-paced world."--Booklist
"I could have used this book several times in my life. When I graduated from Northwestern with a degree in linguistics... and even today, when I'm the parent of high school junior intent on studying poetry and modern dance in college. You Can Do Anything will inspire a new generation to greater heights, while delivering a much-needed wake-up call to campus leaders and employers."--Daniel H. Pink, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind
"The career stories of liberal arts graduates provide the best argument for the value of their education. George Anders, in his thoughtful new book You Can Do Anything, tells these stories in a compelling manner, weaving the threads of their education into the tapestry of their lives, demonstrating over and over why employers should seek out these unique thinkers. An interesting read and valuable for any liberal arts graduate or recruiter!"--Dr. Katharine Brooks, author of You Majored in What? and Executive Director of the Vanderbilt University Career Center
"Thoughtful and well-reasoned... George Anders demonstrates the extraordinary way a liberal arts education broadens the career opportunities of new graduates."--The Hill
"Useful guidance for newly minted job hunters"--Kirkus
"While the book is geared toward recent grads, even career switchers can benefit.... Above all, Anders shows that success is rarely a straight line."--Book Page
"Will inspire new college students and their families... In a time of anxiety about student debt and the future of the workplace, Anders's stories of career success speak to visceral concerns."--New York Review of Books

George Anders is a contributing writer at Forbes, exploring issues related to careers, education and innovation. He is the author of five books, including Merchants of Debt, Health Against Wealth, the New York Times bestseller Perfect Enough, and The Rare Find. Earlier in his career, George served as a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company magazine and Bloomberg View. In 1997, he shared in a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. He and his wife live in northern California. Their two sons are starting their own college adventures.

There are no underground bunkers of supercomputers at the heart of the Uber miracle. No cloisters of silent technicians guiding Etsy to its marketplace dominance. Google HQ looks more like a Scandinavian parliament than a server farm. The truth is, the tech boom has less to do with a massive explosion of silicon and aluminum, and much more to do with a massive expansion of the points of contact between humans and machines. George Anders's YOU CAN DO ANYTHING is shaped by the insight that the leading lights at so many ostensibly "tech" firms have deep backgrounds in the humanities--history, sociology, and, yes, English. Something about those backgrounds unlocked potential that hordes of anonymous MBAs and BSs can only wish for.Combining reportage, academic studies, close contact with tech and business luminaries, fast action-oriented distillations, and many years of experience reading the invisible magnetic waves of the business and creator worlds, Anders is writing the book that will upset (cf: "disrupt") the conversation between the STEM and the innumerate, between Mountain View and Main Street, and between parents and children. We all have the power to think on our feet, to rally others, and to embrace the exception. We just need to realize the power. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING points us in that direction and shoves.

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