I've Read The Great Rat-Race Escape!

[david1024]

Finished it in about a week. Def made some triggers go off in my life and relationship. But triggers that needed to happen. By far the best business book I will ever read. I will be having my team read all of MJs books. ( of course when I create my team).

 

[Lyinx]

Where's the "I've read the rat race escape" thread? I want my new title.

@MJ DeMarco
This^

 

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[Harbourmaster]

Interesting, it was a chapter that I almost considered cutting as it was a bit granular and prosaic.

Thank you for letting me know.

It really adds some context and parameters to the "adding value" conversation. Value to who? Value compared to what? Is the value properly demonstrated?

I think it has become way too easy and meaningless to say you're focusing on delivering "value" with your business without answering the questions above that you point out in the chapter.

Curious if you're familiar with Alex Osterwalder and the Strategyzer series. To anyone interested in entrepreneurship, I always recommend all of your books first. If it fires up something inside of them and they come back to me for more, I usually follow up with recommending his work on ideation, value props and testing business ideas.

 

[CJH]

Message the forum for the PDF, it looks like the early versions of the audiobook did not have it included.

Didnt message the forum but Audible loaded the attached pdf shortly after posting the message.

Finished the Book. It is the best of the TMF and Unscripted 1 for me. Very relatable as I am a CPA experiencing similar life challenges as the couple are *avoiding spoilers* - Also made personal summaries.

Content wise, Chapter 44 - Fastlane Strategy nicely ties up what I think are the most important Principles and Strategies. Chapter 21 - Asymmetric returns strategy is the "IT" chapter. Just wow.

 

[PizzaOnTheRoof]

Almost done with the audio book. Loving it so far! (I could do without the overt vegan proselytizing but hey it’s not my book).

I like that it stands on its own and introduces new concepts that I imagine MJ fleshed out over the few years writing it.

Instant recommendation from me to anyone seeking entrepreneurship.

 

[becks22]

About 70% of the way through. Took awhile to get into the Trotman story and root for them but now I can't wait for them to succeed. Had to take a little break because one of your chapters made me bawl my eyes out. I'll probably finish tomorrow.

 

[Parks]

"In any transaction where you are the value provider, the only thing
exchanged is money. Buyers don’t ask for your college transcripts or your credit scores. They don’t ask about your bad driving record, your loveless marriage, or your last five failed businesses. They don’t need a play-by-play on your last church confessional. Everything—from excuses to misdeeds—all are blasted out the window. When you have something people want, you’re never too young, too old, too broke, too uneducated, too straight, too gay, too white, too black, too short, too introverted, too this, or too that. Can you solve my problem and at what price?"

Loved this chapter referencing the bread company.. as being in Oregon I've been a diehard fan of Dave's Killer Bread for years. Truly shows the concepts.

A part of me when I finished this book wanted to give this book to everyone I know that I want to see succeed. Another part of me wants to hold this book and not let it out of my hands because of how much I value it. Great work MJ. Well worth the wait, best book yet imo. Shares all of the main principles from the first two books in a quick almost encyclopedic way. The Fastlane Encyclopedia

 

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[MitchC]

Regarding the proselytizing, I had to interject some type of character arcs ... I thought it was the best theme because it related to their business, and I had some personal insight into it as well. I originally was thinking about some child abuse angle, but figured it was too "hot" and difficult to weave in.

Thank you for the recommendations.

It’s actually made me consider becoming vegan or at least definitely eating more vegan meals so in my opinion you did a good job, not because I think that was your goal, but because you must have portrayed it in a good way that didn’t spark the normal pushback reaction people pushing things like that usually does. Initially I was a little turned off by it but I did respect it because it’s your book so of course it’s going to have a part of you in it.

It definitely fits the story well too, driving home that lifestyle and interests are a source of business ideas and problems, and how the fastlane and starting a business can help you achieve good things like saving animals aside from just making money.

 

[Antifragile]

Finished the book!

I am a skeptic and question everything and everyone. Even after reading MJ's other books, I approached this one with hesitation. Judge me all you want, but that's who I am.

At some point, I found flaws. Let's discuss them:

1. @MJ DeMarco watches "My 600 Pound Life" a reality TV show on A&E.
2. ... nope, that's all I got.

The book was amazing.

I really liked the fact that there are both non-fiction and fiction. The non-fiction part is useful for how to solve problems in your business while the fiction took me a little time to get into but when it connected, it connected on another level.

I had a number of failed businesses and side projects while I was still an employee. Eventually, my decision to quit my full-time job gave me the chance to start my own company--and only then did we manage to get pregnant with my wife. Reading about Trottmans felt like I was there with them, I was rooting for them and yet I also saw reflections of our family and the reminder of hardship that comes with having a kid and a business. And the priceless freedom to be able to spend time with your toddler because of the business. Thank you @MJ DeMarco!

What did I take away?

1. The asymmetry of the rewards. It seems the book kept coming back to the same concept that investing in yourself, your own business, while risky, is positively skewed to having a massive return on that investment. It's asymmetric in a good way. Plenty of examples of asymmetry in a bad way too, like doing something stupid while drunk that could cost you a marriage, or life etc. I just loved this part, if there was one thing to take away it has to be this (for me). It seems most other topics circle around this one key concept.
2. The easier it to start a business, the harder it will be later. And the reverse is true! While it is an example of the above mentioned asymmetry, I found it to be the most potent example. The reason is because it goes to show one thing, comfortable isn't likely to be very profitable. It is not only OK to be struggling with starting a business, it is a good thing if you are! I am happy to share that I speak from experience, as our business had massive barriers to entry and is doing very well.

Conclusion: just f**ing loved it.

 

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[Pink Sheep]

About 3 hours left on the audio book here.
I must say your Kermit the Frog impression is spot on @MJ DeMarco
And those steamy paragraphs, oh my. Lol

On a more serious note, this book couldn't land at a better time. I've been in the desert of desertion for some years, slaggishly picking away at ideas I didn't care much for. I recently had a breakthrough, and this is stoking the flames, and reminding me of the principles that matter.

Thanks for your books MJ, I think in the coming years they will prove to be life-changing.

Much love to all of you

 

[ocricci]

This book shows how much MJ’s writing skills have improved over the years, every concept explained is easily understood and, thanks to Jeff and Sam, more relatable.

All concepts are essential to becoming unscripted , this book restored my faith and brought more awareness and energy to my life =) Thanks MJ

 

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[peddletothemetal]

Just read it, pretty good book. Comes across as a refinement and reiteration of previous ideas, plus the included fictional narrative of the couple who made it using the methods was well played. I picked up a few additional good ideas, and even if you don't (in which case if you really know all that you've just received a tip that your problem isn't your knowledge) its good repetition to hear it again, like a coach's pep talk.

 

[Matto]

I'm already listening to it from Audible.
Like it a lot, there are many of the principles from previous books (especially Unscripted ) but the story is linking them together and giving practical examples for each one.
And you know what MJ? Just after I started listening my wife said to me in a WA message "Do you wanna know a Killing News... what if I was going to resign?" (did she got to her FTE?). And now I'm trying to get her onboard on my quest that is lasting since a while, but it was invigorating for me listening to the book, understanding how to engage her (that is definitely not the type of person for this things...) recognising all the similar situations and having a blue print for this shared journey. I admit that many times I got myself stuck and busy with no real activities but being two and with the purpose of freeing the lives of all the people in our family gives me more certainty, good feelings to have the right chances to succeed.

Thanks a lot for the great books and keep up with the Excellent (not Good) work!

 

[EmotionEngine]

Finished it last week. Unscripted 2 TGRRE was excellent and the Jeff and Samantha story helped nail down concepts from the other books. I don't think you can explain the Fastlane ideology any better. You gave people a very basic process and framework (not a list) through fiction to work from. Incredible.

TMF was very good, but its The Hobbit while Unscripted 1 and 2 are Lord of the Rings.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Finished it last week. Unscripted 2 TGRRE was excellent and the Jeff and Samantha story helped nail down concepts from the other books. I don't think you can explain the Fastlane ideology any better. You gave people a very basic process and framework (not a list) through fiction to work from. Incredible.

TMF was very good, but its The Hobbit while Unscripted 1 and 2 are Lord of the Rings.

Thank you, my objective was to create the fiction story to identify the exact process through both struggle, failure, and triumph!

 

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[glongshadow]

Absolutely loved TGRRE . Already a massive fan of TMF and Unscripted , so when I saw this coming out I re-read both before diving in.

I found having the narrative elements helped me to visualise a lot of the elements a lot more clearly, and also triggered associations and tangents that have helped me immensely to clarify the steps I should be taking as well as confirming that I am already doing the right things.

My only criticism is that I wished it was longer (but then I have the same issue with Lord Of The Rings, so you can take that with a pinch of salt!). Honestly though, all the books put me into a mindset of furious and purposeful execution, and leave me wanting to stop listening to anyone else and just get on with it (which I have). Top marks!

 

[npsome]

Celebrate REAL INDEPENDENCE on your INDEPENDENCE DAY weekend.

I'm happy to announce that my next full length book (444 pages, 16 hours Audible) is now available with a release date of Tuesday June 29th, 2021.

- Audible Audiobook
- Amazon Paperback
- Amazon Kindle
- Google Play
- Kobo
- Apple
- Barnes And Noble

##### SUMMARY

UNSCRIPTED - The Great Rat Race Escape : From Wage Slavery to Wealth, How to Start a Purpose Driven Business and Win Financial Freedom for a Lifetime
(Yes, really long but I was able to get to work on the cover!)

By all appearances, Jeff and Samantha Trotman are living the American Dream. But behind the white picket fence, they endure an American Nightmare. With little time for each other, a pile of debt, and Ferrari taste on a Ford budget, the ruse of affluence is killing them. Two respectable jobs and a lovely suburban house paint a pretty picture, but behind the ink is a broken marriage rife with meaningless work and dead dreams. And now, with an unplanned pregnancy, they’re facing a mid-life crisis twenty years early.

With little time and looming bankruptcy, the Trotmans are forced to face the red-pill truth they long denied: They were living, but they weren’t alive. Determined to resurrect their life and their marriage, the Trotmans plot a rat-race escape—only to find themselves more thickly in it.

As tensions rise and hope fades, follow along step-by-step as the Trotmans pivot to a new strategy and a new career: starting a business as entrepreneurs.

While they navigate their journey, you’ll learn 120 wealth-building strategies and principles that your mainstream financial guru won’t dare reveal—actionable concepts that will help you profit your way into the Unscripted 1%, an emerging economic class of entrepreneurs who enjoy a lifetime of freedom emancipated from miserly living and Wall Street's "save, pray, and wait" paradigm. Discover how one family escapes the rat-race grind and wins a lifetime of financial freedom, leaving behind the tyranny of meaningless jobs and mediocre living— and how you can too.

• The Bad Math Principle: Why most people will never escape the rat-race, much less earn financial freedom.
• The 1/5/10 Strategy: How this one simple exercise will unearth your ultimate dream life while establishing a decision framework for its reality
• The Honeypot Principle: Why the financial media's "invest a $100/mo for 40 years in indexed-funds" narrative is part of the same rat-race scheme, just a different side of the same rigged coin.
• The Dual Change Strategy: The two divergent sides of change and how it can make you a fortune.
• The Value Skew Strategy: How to find literally 1000s of business ideas and why you never need to "disrupt" or invent anything new or novel.
• The Millionaire Payday Strategy: How to spot opportunities to hire yourself and earn an instant millionaire-making income.
• The Cinderella Principle: Why starting a business based on a cultural trend or a fad is a horrible idea.
• The Perseverance Strategy: Never struggle with motivation again; the four necessary ingredients to tap into unlimited motivation and determination, regardless of the obstacles in your way.
• The Triangulated Value Strategy: Learn how to never quit three-feet from gold: The 3-pronged strategy in maximizing marketing yields while also illuminating the "quit or continue" decision.
• and over 110+ more!

Don’t let the rat-race and its co-conspirators proclaim your life as non-essential. Don’t let the rat-race entice you to save your life away for the promise of an elderly retirement. Don’t let the rat-race lull you into a tedious existence medicated by television, video games, and trivial sporting events.

Go Unscripted , escape the rat-race, and win your happily-ever-after.

##### DOWNLOAD SAMPLE CHAPTERS
>>> If you'd like to download the first 40 pages, visit here.
View attachment 37981

View attachment 37974

Just finished reading - again exceeded expectations and gave another push to move over to the fastlane !! Thank you MJ - loved the format of the story interspersed with the concepts and your personal experience !! It's a great way to literally walk through applying the concepts that you have innovated in the earlier books. Highly recommend to anyone that needs the fire to be lit and eliminate any excuse to execute.

 

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[bracknelson]

Celebrate REAL INDEPENDENCE on your INDEPENDENCE DAY weekend.

I'm happy to announce that my next full length book (444 pages, 16 hours Audible) is now available with a release date of Tuesday June 29th, 2021.

- Audible Audiobook
- Amazon Paperback
- Amazon Kindle
- Google Play
- Kobo
- Apple
- Barnes And Noble

##### SUMMARY

UNSCRIPTED - The Great Rat Race Escape : From Wage Slavery to Wealth, How to Start a Purpose Driven Business and Win Financial Freedom for a Lifetime
(Yes, really long but I was able to get to work on the cover!)

By all appearances, Jeff and Samantha Trotman are living the American Dream. But behind the white picket fence, they endure an American Nightmare. With little time for each other, a pile of debt, and Ferrari taste on a Ford budget, the ruse of affluence is killing them. Two respectable jobs and a lovely suburban house paint a pretty picture, but behind the ink is a broken marriage rife with meaningless work and dead dreams. And now, with an unplanned pregnancy, they’re facing a mid-life crisis twenty years early.

With little time and looming bankruptcy, the Trotmans are forced to face the red-pill truth they long denied: They were living, but they weren’t alive. Determined to resurrect their life and their marriage, the Trotmans plot a rat-race escape—only to find themselves more thickly in it.

As tensions rise and hope fades, follow along step-by-step as the Trotmans pivot to a new strategy and a new career: starting a business as entrepreneurs.

While they navigate their journey, you’ll learn 120 wealth-building strategies and principles that your mainstream financial guru won’t dare reveal—actionable concepts that will help you profit your way into the Unscripted 1%, an emerging economic class of entrepreneurs who enjoy a lifetime of freedom emancipated from miserly living and Wall Street's "save, pray, and wait" paradigm. Discover how one family escapes the rat-race grind and wins a lifetime of financial freedom, leaving behind the tyranny of meaningless jobs and mediocre living— and how you can too.

• The Bad Math Principle: Why most people will never escape the rat-race, much less earn financial freedom.
• The 1/5/10 Strategy: How this one simple exercise will unearth your ultimate dream life while establishing a decision framework for its reality
• The Honeypot Principle: Why the financial media's "invest a $100/mo for 40 years in indexed-funds" narrative is part of the same rat-race scheme, just a different side of the same rigged coin.
• The Dual Change Strategy: The two divergent sides of change and how it can make you a fortune.
• The Value Skew Strategy: How to find literally 1000s of business ideas and why you never need to "disrupt" or invent anything new or novel.
• The Millionaire Payday Strategy: How to spot opportunities to hire yourself and earn an instant millionaire-making income.
• The Cinderella Principle: Why starting a business based on a cultural trend or a fad is a horrible idea.
• The Perseverance Strategy: Never struggle with motivation again; the four necessary ingredients to tap into unlimited motivation and determination, regardless of the obstacles in your way.
• The Triangulated Value Strategy: Learn how to never quit three-feet from gold: The 3-pronged strategy in maximizing marketing yields while also illuminating the "quit or continue" decision.
• and over 110+ more!

Don’t let the rat-race and its co-conspirators proclaim your life as non-essential. Don’t let the rat-race entice you to save your life away for the promise of an elderly retirement. Don’t let the rat-race lull you into a tedious existence medicated by television, video games, and trivial sporting events.

Go Unscripted , escape the rat-race, and win your happily-ever-after.

##### DOWNLOAD SAMPLE CHAPTERS
>>> If you'd like to download the first 40 pages, visit here.
View attachment 37981

View attachment 37974

Every page is full of wisdom & this serves as both inspiration and guidance.

 

[mjbarlow]

The book is great, just started my 2nd listen through of the Jeff & Sam tale. At 16 hours+ audio it's truly amazing value for money.

I like that MJ and the narrator take turns with the chapters, I think it works well. It's a clear definition of actionable advice and narrative example. Also, it's funny hearing the narrator put on Sam's female voice for the dialogue parts. Add's some humor to it, especially when he has to voice the "come hither" moments from Sam.

The relationship insights are spot on! at some points it was like MJ had been in the room for some of the conversations I've had with my own wife.

The husband and wife striving for a better life against the scripted system and succeeding is a great story. I'd say the wife unscripted pretty quickly though, mine is neutral on the subject, she supports my ambition and can see the logic, but she has not fully bought in to the unscripted mindset and wants to follow the "safe route".

Maybe there is a book idea there, how to unscript your significant other.

Great read!

 

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[Toddo]

@Disciple96 I don't understand why you are getting worked up about something that promotes veganism, it's a choice that isn't being forced upon you but somethings you have stated are blatantly wrong and it needs to be addressed

We NEED them and they NEED us.

I don't think you are being serious but if you are then there are plenty of vegans that have survived and thrived without consuming any animal products: some are champion of fighters and others can lift cars, so there's an abundance actual proof we don't need them to survive and how can you say animals need us, can you honestly believe that statement? Are humans required for animals to exist in the wild.

Who wants to consume a sick and tortured animal compared to one that has lived a well life, anyways? Only idiots.

Have you seen what the hogs, chickens and cows look like in the factories, they are covered with abscesses, infested with mites, and infected with a multitude of diseases and this is what majority of animal products are sourced from. Cows are fed cow, pigs are fed pigs. The few fortunate ones that live a "well life" are still packed into cattlecarts like sardines for sometimes weeks until they are slaughtered.

As an aside, unless you're sourcing 100% of your plant produce locally and truly organically, or not aware of where your food comes from, mass agriculture and monocropping are just as detrimental morally and environmentally, if not arguably more so, than the animal industry, cruel as it may be. Also, do not forget to consider the thousands of species and millions of animal lives displaced and destroyed by industrial farm equipment

This is the biggest inaccuracy I need to address, the single largest consumer on the planet of monocrops is the animal industry. And that is by a longshot. One of the main reasons amazon rainforest is being cleared for crops to feed the cattle. Do you have any idea how much soy and grain a 1,500 pound steer consumes? Do you know how many acres of grain and soy it takes to raise one steer or hefer to slaughter. It takes 10-20 pounds of feed to produce 1 pound of beef. Do you know that the cows and pigs and chickens need to eat the entire time before they are slaughtered. I know this way off topic but I really think you should enlighten yourself before fabricating so many statements in one post

 

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[JtBreeze]

I've spent the last week listening to MJ's latest book and have mixed feelings. I believe the main point of the book is to understand that the best chance at living an extraordinary life on your own terms is by being an entrepreneur. At some point we have to get enough courage to leave our dead end 9 to 5 job and start our own business. I get it!

But at this point is where I'm confused... MJ kind of shit on some online businesses like Amazon FBA because those type of business ventures are heavily saturated. So he pushes the reader into creating something that is new, innovative, and not the same ole business that everyone else is starting. That's fine, but that's not going to be easy to enter, costly, and will take time to figure out.

So in summary I would say that the reader or listener(audible) needs to really take some time and plan this career change out before jumping off the ledge and quitting their job. I know that's going against the grain of the book, which is pushing folks towards entrepreneurship but that's just my honest opinion. It's a good motivation book for folks who want to get out of the rat race, but don't do it without a detailed business plan and emergency fund first.

p.s. I also got a little lost when going over all of the different strategies and principles to follow. There's literally over 100 different strategies and principles outlined. I think it would have been more helpful to readers/listeners to narrow some of that material down.

 

[Gkern84]

MJ Your book is great. Many people ask how to become wealth. Well, you fixed that. This is like the exact roadmap someone can use to get there

 

[HabitsCampaigner]

Just finished my first read of The Great Rat Race Escape and loved it.

MJ's best yet. Not only was I not triggered but the book inspired me. Side note: I always find it so interesting how, for many people, food is like religion. All I can say about that is this: when I stopped eating meat and cheese, I lost 60lbs. Prior to that, I rode an ambulance to the hospital and I am grateful to say that I haven't been on that "ride" since.

I don't think I've come across a book that weaved fiction with non-fiction. I found myself really looking forward to each next episode with Sam and Jeff. I have to admit I even teared up a couple times. And the principles and strategies were excellent... improvements upon what was expressed in TMF and Unscripted , which is saying a lot because those two books already shifted my way of thinking.

Thank you, MJ!

My wife and I now have our Planasy and Escape Number. Here goes!

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

MJ just did what great teachers have been doing since Aesop.. who coincidentally also loved animals. Lol.

Great book, I reviewed it. If you’re not a part of a writers group where you can bounce off ideas with other authors you should join one. I look forward to reading the fiction stuff next.

 

[Parks]

Had to buy it for the 2nd time. just got it today. Lent it to a friend and a month later I already want to re-review it.

 

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[YearnForMe]

I've read TGRRE !
And I enjoyed that it's 2 books in 1: half business/half erotica

I also don't recall the detail of choosing a spouse being covered in TMF or Unscripted . So thank you for the additional insight with the 1/2/3 marriage strategy.

 

[EternalStudent]

Just finished the audiobook today… good call in using the 2 narrators, it was great to hear your voice again MJ!
the story/lesson format was a refreshing alternative to the stale student/mentor parables that often feature contrived plots or conversations to get a concept across.
I can see this format being a game changer in the genre.
this book also felt much shorter than the last 2 since it flowed more smoothly.
the unapologetic nature I enjoyed in the first book (“someone give this guy a bitch slap!”) came through in Jeff’s character.

Spoiler: Spoiler

My favourite part (and I’m sure every vegans favourite) was when Jeff had his epiphany while choosing animals to sponsor. A moving scene that brought real tears to my eyes."

Thank you MJ for sharing this with the world, best wishes for massive sales numbers.

 

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[mdot]

Is this common? This was actually going to be the format, and I switched it later.

E-Myth Revisited is like this. I found the exchanges in that book always predictable, which was fine because it wasn't written with a plot per say.

 

[Omar Elarbi]

I read it and I will probably get the audio version. Thank you MJ! Can’t wait for your next book to be published.

 

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[gilli]

i have read it and am grateful that i have found some more breadcrumbs. thank you MJ