“Do not give up before you even start. . . We do not yet know what the world will offer you.”
With warmth, honesty, and inspired wisdom, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jodi Kantor expands on her triumphant Columbia University commencement address, tackling the question, “How, in this environment, is anyone supposed to find and start their life’s work?”
Jodi Kantor’s groundbreaking reporting has toppled media magnates, sparked reform worldwide, and foretold many of the unsettling changes we see in the workplace today. But before all of this, Kantor was kicked off her college newspaper. Society expects perfection, but Kantor knows those first professional steps are often rocky. She also knows that young people are facing new and frightening terrain, with political upheaval, skyrocketing costs of living, and the unknowns of AI.
Kantor casts aside platitudes and false hope to offer tangible help. Work is how we spend much of our time. It’s our engine of progress: how cancer therapies are invented, political campaigns won, thrilling art created and matched with an audience. Instead of letting cynicism take over, Kantor identifies two principles to help young people discover their life’s work: craft and need. By pairing the two, they can navigate tough, sensitive choices: how to think about money. How much risk to take on. When to buck what others are saying.
Powerful and provocative, How to Start is a statement of faith for young people as they make their way through uncertain times, offering wisdom, strategy, and a set of aspirations to launch their careers and last their whole lives.
On shelves April 21, 2026 | Available to preorder today.
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Promotion End Date: 04/20/26 at 11:59 PM ET
OFFER AVAILABLE UNTIL 11:59 PM (ET) ON 04/20/2026. ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF HOW TO START BY JODI KANTOR (the “Book”) (ON SALE 04/21/26) FOR DELIVERY VIA EMAIL. To receive a sneak peek PDF and an invitation to an exclusive Q&A with the author, submit the form below and upload your proof of purchase for any edition of the Book. Offer limited to residents of the fifty (50) United States and D.C., aged 18 or older. Limit one (1) per person and per household. Duplicate requests will constitute fraud. You must have a valid email address. Theft, diversion, reproduction, transfer, sale or fraud in connection with your preorder or submission is prohibited and constitutes fraud. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Requests from clubs or organizations will not be honored. Not redeemable in any manner other than as provided herein. Not responsible for lost, late, incomplete or misdirected submissions. Requests not complying with all offer requirements will not be honored. Any fraudulent submission will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Sponsored by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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