First published 2026
Your career spans roughly 80,000 hours across four decades of working life. Benjamin Todd argues this makes career choice among your most significant decisions. Drawing from five years of research conducted with Oxford University academics, Todd challenges conventional career wisdom. He demonstrates why "follow your passion" misleads and why obvious helping professions like teaching or medicine may not create the greatest impact. The book examines how to evaluate global problems by scale and urgency, comparing issues like climate change and education reform. Todd provides frameworks for identifying personal strengths and matching them to high-impact opportunities. The guide covers what constitutes meaningful work beyond traditional assumptions about charitable careers. It offers practical tools for career planning and decision-making. Todd's approach emphasizes evidence over platitudes, helping readers find work that satisfies personally while addressing urgent global challenges. The book promises readers a concrete plan for using their career hours effectively.
Genres: self-help, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: informative, practical, thought-provoking
Tropes: evidence-based, practical-advice
384 pages · Paperback · Harmony