First published 2026
Cate Hall abandoned her legal career before making partner to become a professional gambler. She rose to become the world's top-ranked female poker player. Drug addiction left her broke and cognitively impaired, but within a year of recovery she co-founded a biotech startup that broke clinical trial speed records. Later she led one of the world's largest philanthropic foundations. Hall argues that conventional success rules are merely guidelines for people without agency. She presents strategies for taking control: expanding your exposure to luck, using available shortcuts, creating commitment mechanisms, and transforming insecurities into motivation. The book challenges readers to act on their ideas rather than waiting for permission. Hall advocates showing up uninvited, pursuing unqualified positions, making unexpected calls, and risking embarrassment. The central premise holds that when you think someone should take action, that person can be you. The book combines psychological exploration with practical tools for bold decision making.
Genres: addiction, business, contemporary, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, personal-development, entrepreneurship
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: self-reinvention, unconventional-path
224 pages · Hardcover · Harper Edge
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use