Roadtrip Nation

51T1TWV9MJL
Author(s)
Co-Authors / Illustrators
Genre(s)
Age Range
14+
Release Date
April 01, 2003
ISBN
0345460138
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SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH YOUR LIFE?

“You should be a lawyer, a doctor, an accountant, a consultant, blah, blah, blah. Everywhere you turn people try to tell you who to be and what to do with your life. We call that the noise. Block it. Shed it. Leave it for the conformists. As a generation, we need to get back to focusing on individuality. Self-construction rather than mass production. Define your own road in life instead of traveling down someone else’s. Listen to yourself. Your road is the open road. Find it.”
—Mike and Nathan

*****
After college Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard had no idea what to do with their lives. All they’d been exposed to were standard career paths like doctor and consultant—roads that didn’t fit them at all.

To see what else was out there they took a roadtrip across the nation in a huge forty-foot RV to meet with people who had successfully defined their own paths in life—including the chairman of Starbucks; a lobsterman from Maine; the director of Saturday Night Live; the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic; the first female Supreme Court Justice of the United States; head stylist for Madonna; and the CEO of National Geographic Ventures. All told, one hundred and forty people candidly shared their stories about how they got from college to the present. Now in Roadtrip Nation, Mike and Nathan share the most compelling tales with you.

Along the way, they explain how you, too, can get out there and meet people on your own. From making cold calls to asking stimulating interview questions, Roadtrip Nation will give you the tools to create a life that you’ll look back on and say: “I was true to myself every step of the way.”

Editor reviews

2 reviews
Get out there and change your life
(Updated: June 15, 2026)
Overall rating
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Learning Value
 
N/A
This is an entirely different kind of career book by two guys who decided that all the standard career paths just werent for them. So what did they do about? They didnt just buckle down and give up no, they set out on a roadtrip to find out what else was really out there. The good news? You dont have to do the same thing&you can just benefit from their research.

Included in the book are interviews with a diverse group of business people youve got everything from the lawyer that gave Erin Brochovich her start to the manager of the Michael Jordan brand (yeah, theres a guy whos job it is to do just that who knew?). Each section includes the road map of the interview, which shows just how many options/choices each of us have. Some went to college; some didnt. Some did the expected; some didnt.

Also included are tips on how to get in and talk to people you thought youd never have a chance at interviewing. Mike & Nathan give the scoop on how they did what they did&after all, you didnt think just anybody could pick up the phone to talk to the Chairman of Starbucks, did you?

Perhaps the best advice in the book comes from Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Computers. He says Dont be afraid to fail because thats usually when you learn. But, youll find many other tidbits of information that can help you on your way. I know I learned a few things, though I guess Im lucky enough to actually know what I want to do when I grow up. ;-)

Recommended for readers aged 14 and up or anyone questioning their current career path. Yep, thats right anyone can find the right road if theyre willing to just get out there and do a bit of traveling.
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