My 30/20 Vision radio show co-host, Christine Hassler, has just released a new book for twenty-somethings called 20 Something Manifesto: Quarterlifers Speak Out about Who They Are, What They Want, and How to Get It.

Christine began her post-college life as a high-powered Hollywood agent, and after a series of personal and professional setbacks, found her footing in a career in life coaching.  In the Manifesto, Christine shares her own journey as well as the journeys of dozens of twenty-somethings who have muddled through this rite of passage and lived to tell about it.  The book removes the expectation that you’re supposed to have it all together after college, and encourages the reader to revel in the uncertainty, the opportunities to explore, grow, and yes, even make big mistakes.

One thing I love about this book is that it’s not totally “rah rah” and feel good.  This is clearly a book for those of us who live in the real world, and Christine and her legion of storytellers tackle some tough subjects including toxic relationships, career failures, image crises, and crippling debt.  And of course, I’m a big fan of concrete exercises that help readers crystallize the advice provided and create a road map for their future. 

20 Something Manifesto inspires twenty-somethings, and even those of us a tad bit older, to assess where we are and take the steps to become the people we really want to be.  Reading it felt warm and intimate, like sitting around a living room fire with a few drinks and your closest friends.  It was also kind of like eating some really tasty strawberries.  You enjoy every minute, and yet it’s guilt-free because you know that you’re consuming something good for you.