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This is a discussion topic for the November 2022 Book of the month, Blue-Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life by Ken Rusk.

What is your overall opinion of the book? What do you like most about it? What do you like least? What did you think of the writing style? What genre is the book? What genres are woven into the text? What did you think of the cover and title? What was the greatest lesson you learned from the book? Will you recommend the book to other people? Why or why not?

Please remember to add your actual rating using the book's page on the Bookshelf.

I loved the concept of this book, in this day and age it is hard to find new and refreshing topics that actually matter. It has begun to feel like every work of art is recycled but this book felt very original. I love how such a simple titled book and cover such complex topics. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

I have sampled the book yesterday. I say sampled only because I have been obsessed with university studies ever since I was a little girl. I knew that blue-collar jobs were not for me. I have always loved reading and learning from books, not doing things. I have been a teacher for...ages, and now I consider such a book very useful in my job. Teenagers should be advised to do what suits them best. If they find pleasure in physical work, it is no less rewarding than a white-collar job. The book is very interesting for parents and teenagers as well, I will recommend it to my students.

I'm about to dive into the book but overall, it seems very intriguing. The title is captivating and from the synopsis I've read, I'm quite sure that I'm about to learn a lot from Ken Rusk.

This book is an interesting mixture of familiar motivational goal-setting and the rather more unusual focus on blue-collar jobs as the way to go. I note that it's specific to the USA. Where I live you need formal qualifications to do just about anything - maybe not for cleaning toilets or street sweeping, but that's literally about it.
I'm pretty familiar with the concept of visualizing goals and breaking them down into smaller components, as well as with the power to transform problems. I am nearer to retirement than not and happy with my white-collar job. But perhaps this is interesting for young people to know that college and debt aren't their only option.

After reading “Blue Collar Cash,” I would rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. At first, I was uncertain that any of the author’s advice would apply to my life. I work in healthcare and therefore have multiple college degrees to be able to practice in my chosen career. However, I don’t work for the money, I entered healthcare to help people, and I find fulfillment in my setting. I appreciate the author’s statement that he’s not anti-college. He recognizes that some careers require degrees, but aimlessly obtaining a college degree ensures debt without stirring passion or fulfilling a dream. I enjoyed the author’s writing style. The author lays his ideas out in an organized and concise manner. As a reader, I felt like I was discussing life priorities with a friend. The genre is non-fiction self-help, which is not my favorite, but I found great value in what the author said. The author isn’t focused exclusively on convincing young people to go into the trades but instead encourages readers to find passion in their lives and work to live instead of living to work. My husband has a college degree and now works in a field where his degree isn’t required. If someone like the author had given him this advice as an 18-year-old, he wouldn't have incurred $20k worth of student loans to pay off. I recommend this book to all readers looking for fulfillment in their careers and readers who are considering college but aren’t sure what they want to do yet.

This is a timely book. There are so many blue-collar jobs that are almost begging for workers. Today's world emphasizes college at the expense of other fields. My family has a long history in blue-collar fields and we have thrived. It is time to remember that the house you live in, the building you work in, the school your kids go to etc...were all built by these skilled people! You can have a great life and earn a living wage without college.

ButterscotchCherrie wrote: ↑03 Nov 2022, 11:14 This book is an interesting mixture of familiar motivational goal-setting and the rather more unusual focus on blue-collar jobs as the way to go. I note that it's specific to the USA. Where I live you need formal qualifications to do just about anything - maybe not for cleaning toilets or street sweeping, but that's literally about it.
I'm pretty familiar with the concept of visualizing goals and breaking them down into smaller components, as well as with the power to transform problems. I am nearer to retirement than not and happy with my white-collar job. But perhaps this is interesting for young people to know that college and debt aren't their only option.

Where I live, you do not need formal qualifications for everything, but this book only focuses on the USA. I could not enjoy it, because I could not relate. I did not finish the book.

Just like the previous comment, I have to say that books focused on a particular country may lose the interest of foreign readers. I, for one, cannot relate to the situations mentioned in the book, though I tend to agree with some of its ideas.

I am super excited to read this book! I have kids in middle school and in high school, so this book couldn't be more timely as I try to help guide them towards college (or not!).

This is an outstanding book. I gave it 4 out of 4 stars. Even though I am a strong believer in higher education, the author did a great job sharing an alternative point of view. What I liked most about this book was the life visioning and life planning advice. I felt this book was applicable for a much broader audience than blue-collar workers.

I really enjoyed this book. I found the topics the author discussed to be extremely valuable to me. I also loved how easily I could implement his ideas! Definitely a refreshing take on a self help book!

I’m loving reading this book. It’s truly a great book. It talks a lot about planning and I’m all about planning, I have lists and goals all written out always. So it’s helping with that.
I feel this book would be a helpful tool for high school students, as well as college students and people looking at trade careers. It covers each topic in a very simple and clear way.

I love this book as it put ordinary worker who are doing ordinary job at the center of things. Not everyone is able to do white collar jobs. One should do what one has a knack for doing.

This book was a masterpiece. The fact that it emphasized the importance of finding joy in the work that we do makes me more endeared to it. I dislike any aspect. The non-fiction genre must have been incorporated into it. Lovers of self-help books would love it.