I've Read UNSCRIPTED!

[MJ DeMarco]

Now that there's several thousands out there in the wild, guess it is time to start a thread for those of you who have read (or listened to!) UNSCRIPTED !



Hope everyone enjoyed it and found it to be a good "big picture" supplement for The Millionaire Fastlane !

To download the first (5) chapters: HERE
To learn more (website) visit: HERE
To order via Amazon: HERE
To listen via Audible: HERE

 

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[Vigilante]

I read it.

It's a deep dive into the conditioning that makes us who we are, as defined by society. The multi-layered reinforcement of how people live a lifetime of scripted pre-destined roles, as pawns in a game someone else controls.

MJ and I share nearly all philosophy, from spiritual to business. There are two main differences between MJ and I... first is I screwed up my first exit event and he didn't. Second is he is far more eloquent than I am. He can articulate the messages that I know to be true, but in a way that makes sense to people. When I went in to teach a MBA class a few years back, there's a reason my outline for the class was MJ's CENTS commandments of building a business. CENTS makes a reprised cameo role in Unscripted . It is not the foundation of the book, but being familiar with the concepts of The Millionaire Fastlane help crystallize the facts he lays out in Unscripted .

The book will become a best seller. It will take it's honored place on my bookshelf with a handful of other classics. Freedom is found within the pages of Unscripted . Some will find it and the lessons from Unscripted will set them free.

Reading a book won't make you rich. MJ would be the first to tell you that his book can't set you free. YOU have to set yourself free, by breaking the script.

I can tell you that there are many forum members here that are Unscripted . Many of the posters here (both past and present) were mentioned in the book. There are breadcrumb trails that they left here at the forum for you to discover.

Thanking MJ for the book is not enough. Having your story grace the pages of this forum as a success story is really why he wrote the book. He wrote it for you (and for me). He wrote it to give back for a life that has been blessed. He wrote it as the ultimate Jerry McGuire manifesto, that you might discover your own path to freedom through it's pages. You want to pay MJ the ultimate compliment? Then break the script.

Don't waste this chance. Don't look at it as just another entrepreneur book. MJ's moment was already realized. This is OUR moment. This is OUR freedom. This is OUR legacy.

I am just about to crest the mountain a second time, after I fell off of it the first time. I am just about to plant a flag at the peak of it, using the principles of the Millionaire Fastlane and now Unscripted . I am not the first, and you can read about dozens of journeys right here on the forum. The people that made it to the peak all have one thing in common here at the FastlaneForum. They all got there...

Unscripted .

 

[Yoda]

The Unscripted Life: F*ck You.

 

[MidwestLandlord]

Read it, loved it, bought several copies to hit certain people in my life over the head with (metaphorically speaking...mostly)

 

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[AndrewNC]

Read it. At times I felt as if you sensored yourself too much.
Obviously j/k

Definitely said exactly what people need to hear.

 

[Richie Rich]

Here is my review that I will post come May 23rd (it's a bit long, but it's worth a read):

Disclaimer: I have read The Millionaire Fastlane and I am a member of the Fastlane Forum, which is how I was able to receive an early copy of UnScripted . I had to pay for my copy of UnScripted , as it was not provided for free or in exchange for a positive review. While my review will be positive, I will be fair and honest in my appraisal.

I was first introduced to The Millionaire Fastlane and MJ DeMarco in 2011. I had bought a copy of How To Get Rich by Felix Dennis and wanted to read reviews about it, so I went to Amazon.com. Upon going to the book’s page on Amazon.com, I noticed in the ‘Customers who bought this item also bought’ and the first book shown was The Millionaire Fastlane . Granted, this was the first edition of the book, with the original cover and at first I thought, really? Not that the cover or the title put me off, but in the realm of business books, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all. Still, the book had a 4.5 out of 5 star rating, so I clicked on the link. People raved about the book, how it was the un-business book, it was not like all the other books about business/entrepreneurship, and as I’m a contrarian, it was right up my alley. I read it and re-read it and I liked it. Initially, it was a shock to the system, as it was going against the standard dogma that was written and that most of us accept. MJ was a bit abrupt at times, but looking back, he was being cruel to be kind. Many readers looking for the magic bullet of how he created his business and wealth were disappointed, as he made it clear how he did it was not important. At first, I was a bit put off by that, but once I read it and let it gestate, I understood the HOW was not important, and once you read UnScripted , you will realize it’s the WHY that is most important.


I was surprised that MJ had decided to write another book on the subject of business/entrepreneurship and I had been keeping up with his progress periodically on the Fastlane Forum. In The Millionaire Fastlane , he says he does not like gurus and those who seek to use their books as an upsell into videos, quick-start systems and the like, and that this was going to be his only book. If he had not written UnScripted , The Millionaire Fastlane is a book that is a roadmap to creating wealth via business/entrepreneurship and stands up on its own. That being said, it took him three years to write The Millionaire Fastlane , as well as this book.


Now I know those of you who purchased and read The Millionaire Fastlane and weren’t given step-by-step instructions on how you too could create a Limos.com (the website that MJ created and then sold some years later) and were quick to judge The Millionaire Fastlane as a waste of time, just another millionaire who got lucky espousing his knowledge just to make a buck. MJ didn’t need the money, as this was a passion of his that he was able to execute on and share with those who would listen, a book he self-published, as he also did with UnScripted . As I said in my introduction, my first impression of MJ was of someone who was bit abrupt, with a need for tact and consideration for his audience. But as I read The Millionaire Fastlane , I started understanding where he was coming from and why his tone was the way it was. Too many books about business/entrepreneurship are kid-gloving and coddling the reader, when what they need is a swift kick in the rear, as that is how life is. And many of the readers of The Millionaire Fastlane , both fans and critics, probably assumed that Unscripted is just The Millionaire Fastlane 2.0, which is a mistake. Granted, he writes about what he knows and some of the material that he discussed in The Millionaire Fastlane does make its way into UnScripted , but it’s not a rehash, like The Force Awakens was to A New Hope. UnScripted is its own book, one that is more of a self-improvement book than a business/entrepreneurship book. MJ touches on aspects of business/entrepreneurship, but focuses on the most important quality of anyone seeking to be successful in business/entrepreneurship, or life for that matter: mindset. If I had to compare how UnScripted is to The Millionaire Fastlane , it’s like Anthony Robbins did with his first book, Unlimited Power and the follow-up, Awaken The Giant Within. Both books are excellent in the field of human potential/self-improvement, but what he discussed in his first book he expands on and adds to in his second book. Awaken The Giant Within was not a sequel to Unlimited Power, just as UnScripted is not a sequel to The Millionaire Fastlane . You can’t go wrong reading both books, but in my opinion, I think readers would benefit from reading UnScripted first, then The Millionaire Fastlane . I say that because Unscripted focuses on creating and developing the correct mindset and beliefs, which are necessary to have if one wishes to obtain great wealth and create a business that fills needs and/or solves problems and ultimately creates and adds value. And for those who don’t have the patience to read the book from start to finish, who only want the facts or say it should have/could have been shorter, you’re missing the point. If you only want facts/logic, then you have no connection, no anchor to create the emotion that makes the facts relatable and applicable. That’s like getting the Cliff’s Notes just to finish a book report. Yeah, you’ll know the main characters, the plot, but you will miss out on the emotions and personalizing the information for yourself. Reading is subjective, as we each glean different things from the subject matter. By reading the entire book, you absorb everything that the author was communicating, not just the nuts and bolts, and certain aspects mean more to you than they do to other readers and vice versa. I recall a story I was told about Aristotle concerning his students. In order for them to remember important facts, he would relay the information to the student and then smack them to create an emotional anchor, i.e. shock/surprise. If you just read something to memorize facts and figures, yeah you can, but if there is no emotion connected to said facts and figures, they will probably be forgotten. But add emotion and personalize what is being said, then you will more than likely, remember what you read or what was said.


Just as in The Millionaire Fastlane , MJ does not BS the reader. He walks his talk and gives the reader the straight dope. If you don’t believe me, then go to the Fastlane Forum and he dispenses advice and information about business/entrepreneurship in a matter of fact way, as he’s seen it and done it. I was under the impression that he may have had a few failures and struck gold with Limos.com, as his rise to the top of the entrepreneur hill was a semi-smooth one, but when you read Unscripted , you get to see MJ not as this mythical, super-entrepreneur with all the answers, but as a human being who has failed over and over and over again until he figured out how to get in and stay in the Fastlane. He will be the first to admit he’s walked the Sidewalk and driven the Slowlane, but those were means to an end, the Fastlane and he is still learning, still growing, as things change and methodologies must also change and be updated and adapted, if one is to be successful. If these terms are foreign to you, you will be introduced to them in UnScripted and expanded upon in The Millionaire Fastlane . Whereas in The Millionaire Fastlane , he seemed harsh at times, he seems to have mellowed a bit in UnScripted and for me, was much more relatable. That’s not a dig at MJ, as The Millionaire Fastlane was his first go at writing and he was trying to get his message written and shared, albeit his style was a lot of tough love and my way or the highway, which I did and still do appreciate. While he is still like that in UnScripted , he has softened a bit and reveals how he came to create Limos.com in much more detail, warts and all. He talks about growing up in Chicago, dealing with naysayers, doubters and haters, all the while conveying the pain that caused him to want to follow the “narrow road”, a term that the late Felix Dennis coined.


I don’t want to turn anyone off of reading this by making this out to be simply a self-improvement manual, as MJ does offer a blueprint on how to create your own business, which comes toward the end of the book. But please, if you do buy the book, don’t skip the heart of the book, which is the shift of your mindset, from Scripted to UnScripted . I’m grateful to MJ for writing this book. I, along with many others, was thrilled to have read The Millionare Fastlane and for him to write UnScripted and add to the invaluable information he has already shared is priceless. I know there will be those who just want it cut and dry, still upset that MJ didn’t hold their hands and show them step-by-step how to create a business and that’s fine. Not everyone is going to vibe with UnScripted , just as they didn’t vibe with The Millionaire Fastlane . He admits that Get Rich Quick is real, but not Get Rich Easy and that creating a business that creates value involves hard work and sacrifice, two things that are foreign to many who claim they want to be entrepreneurs, but aren’t willing to pay the price of admission. For those who felt that they were somehow cheated by The Millionaire Fastlane , read UnScripted , change your mindset and your beliefs and then go back and re-read The Millionaire Fastlane and see if your perspective and opinion changes about The Millionaire Fastlane . I have a feeling it will, if you give both UnScripted and The Millionaire Fastlane an honest to goodness chance, without prejudice and preconceived ideas about how you think things should be.


Let me close my long-winded review by saying thank you to MJ DeMarco for sharing his insights and knowledge from hard-won experience of failing in business, but eventually succeeding and doing it not as other “entrepreneurs” would believe you can and should do it, but by realizing that there are truths and absolutes that for too long, were shrouded in mystery, kept hidden, replaced with the ad nausem platitudes and rules that people think will make them successful in business, but are fool’s gold. UnScripted and The Millionaire Fastlane are the real things. If you don’t want to live your life like everyone else, do yourself a favor: go and buy both, but read UnScripted first and the Millionaire Fastlane second. I only wish I had had these when I was just out of high school or college, but then I may not have been ready for the lessons they had to teach me. There is an old saying, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I’ve been on my quest to find my Fastlane since 2011 and while have had a few detours and hit a few potholes, I’m still looking, still searching, not content with giving up and following the crowd. I hope those who took the time to read my review found it informative and useful to your decision whether or not to buy UnScripted and/or The Millionaire Fastlane . If you are still on the fence about either or both, MJ is nice enough to let you read the first five chapters for free, just go to the FastlaneForum.com and from there you can create an account on the forum or just download the five free chapters in PDF format. The same goes for The Millionaire Fastlane , although it is only the first three chapters. Good luck!

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Yikes, one week until release.

Unfortunately the audiobook might not make the release date. It is finished and I am waiting for the ACX QA approval which, according to them, can take up to 2 weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

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[JustKris]

Really liked it. In fact, I'm going to have to read it again. It's like a blast of ice-cold water for somebody sitting in a warm bathtub of mediocrity.

Wanted to see a bit more in developing the Unscripted Mindset, but I suspect that's more about my anxiety than a flaw in the book.

 

[eliquid]

Read it.

Prob took me a week of little reads here and there. My favorite time was during the day while sitting on my front porch during the warm temps and cool breeze, thinking to myself "glad I can do things like this without being in a cubicle getting micro-managed".

Many of the things in the book I have been telling people for years and wanted to put into words myself. I guess now I can just start gifting this and FL to people instead.

.

 

[amp0193]

Many of the posters here (both past and present) were mentioned in the book.

I was reading one of the quotes earlier in the book, and thought to myself "man, that sounds like something I'd say".

**flips to the reference section**

Shit, I DID say that!

Glad a post of mine was worthy enough to contribute to the book

 

[InspireHD]

Finished it last night. Many nights I wanted to go to sleep early only to find myself still awake reading and reading. I would definitely read it again - and will.

 

[CMA]

Read it, devoured it and applying it to my thinking. Can't wait to share it with the people I care about.

Talk about a smack in the face.

I see a few reviews on Amazon, but when I try to post mine it says I can't until the book officially comes out.

Below is the Amazon review I will post when I can:

UNSCRIPTED is a masterpiece!

If you get your feelings hurt easily, or shut down when the truth slaps you in the face so hard it hurts; then this book isn't for you. If you close your mind when your beliefs are questioned; then this book isn't for you.

If you want to see the world in a different light and make a seismic shift in your thoughts and reality and put yourself 1000 steps ahead of the crowd; stop debating and get this book right now.

I almost feel like I should pay the author, MJ DeMarco, for sharing these ideas with the world. (Really pay; not just for the book, as the lessons learned here will help me throughout my life and my future children's lives.)

I'll share some highlights of the book below:

"What if I told you that you've become and unwitting participant in an obligatory game, one victim in a genocide of dreams, a pawn institutionally directed by the rank doctrine that every human must go to college, get a job, get married, have kids, use credit cards, finance a car, mortgage a house, stare at the latest smart phone (further entrenching your obedience), save and cheapskate your pay check while entrusting it to Wall Street, all while you continue feeding the bloodthirsty parasites drunk on your life force?" (pg. 12)

BOOM!

Gems like this are on every page.

Here is another:

"Want to know what really holds the key your your happiness?....The great happiness secret is autonomy. Freedom. The ability to feel in control of your life, to stockpile options, mobility, and whatever else you self-determine and endorse."(pg. 217)

He could charge $1,000 for this book and the value equation would still be on the readers side.

This book is an instant classic in the world of entrepreneurship, money and life.

All I can say is thank you, MJ. Thank you.
#TimeMachine
#StartToday
#RipUpTheScript
#UNSCRIPTED

 

[Jamie T]

I just finished reading UNSCRIPTED .

I highly recommend it. It definitely stands alone from The Millionaire Fastlane . I like how you used the UNSCRIPTED Entrepreneurial Framework to describe the different aspects of becoming unplugged from what's expected/considered "normal."

One of the biggest takeaways for me was the contradiction of having to trade time in order to get time back. And, the recommendation of completely forgetting about it in the short term. It helps to keep me focused as I move forward. Sometimes I get too caught up in how much time I spend on things.

I had a good LOL moment at the GrumpyCat comment too! haha

Thanks for writing another awesome book.

 

[ZF Lee]

I got the book in the delivery just today. I am still digesting UNSCRIPTED (as it is a tougher and more complex chew than TMF ) so it might take me some time to put up an official review on Amazon, for the benefit of Fastlaners-to-be.

But still I have gotten so many concepts, both streamlined and new! I really appreciate the streamlining process which helps me identify what I still need to fill in. This IS along post, but hey you should see MJ's book. The only longer book I know about is the Bible....

First......
GOOD LORD @MJ DeMarco ! Well done! Awesome! Chutzah! Yabba-dabba-doo!
I actually feared that UNSCRIPTED would discuss similar concepts of TMF . Not only did it do it, but it went BLOODY DEEPER.
I am going to be honest. TMF is so much less harsher and so surface level compared to this!

I am going to use an analogy. TMF is harsh, cuts straight to the point, sharp. Reminds me of sharp steel swords. But UNSCRIPTED is a massive inferno of a warbeast that just kills the SCRIPTED framework and all its falsehoods merciless, thoroughly and cruelly.

There were a lot of bad reviews on TMF. Spotted them on Amazon. People were blaming TMF as common-sensical and using the language of scam gurus. Some were even bitching that there were no instructables in TMF.
Now UNSCRIPTED has so much HARD DATA and FACTS! Statistics, studies (the Growth Mindset investigation by Carol Dweck is excellent...a recommendation I found on the forum), reports, the whole picture. It's like one of those psychology papers I write in college, but more lively, full of conviction, critical thinking (MJ diatribes) and enough 'roundhouse language' to make me smile at my own foolishness when you call me out on it the book!

And there are tons of executionable strategies beginning after the SCRIPT section. TONS. Things you can start doing now, for newcomers.

Those haters are gonna run out of ink and words when they discover you have created the Death Star of mediocrity!

I have taken a peek at the productocracy and exit strategies part, and while I have not yet executed on them fully, I can tell that I will have significantly less troubles in streamlining my finance goals and systems to prepare for good cashflow management. You literally saved me more money that could be wasted on crap finance materials!

Highlights so far on the book:
-You put into words the motions of the SCRIPT very brilliantly. In TMF, you only briefly described agents like friends, parents, education and finance. Here, not only you come up with validation material of hard data, but you slowly disect the SCRIPTED frog on the dish. Down to its very bowels. As far as I know, only James Altucher's Choose Yourself discusses that, and he himself focuses more on emotional impacts rather than scientific mechanisms such as the M.O.D.E.L citizenry, the sad conventional result of the SCRIPT and time prostitution.

- I ran into many discussions on the role of the Slowlane here in TFLF. Many think that the Slowlane should be for those who can't take the more aggressive Fastlane route. But the way MJ puts it in UNSCRIPTED , it is actually non-optional! A no-brainer, considering the costs! Be it in the Sidewalk or Slowlane, you still remain a cash cow for the higher-ups! In the Sidewalk, you splurge on consummables while in the Slowlane, you splurge on crap financial instruments. All income outflow and no income inflow! The reality behind this mahogany is actually FAR WORSE AND BLATANT than in TMF.

- The trophy kid tales and the stories of the masses who want presents or trophies for everything, along with the cases of people actually protesting competition in school events and work places are a shocking read, but I think you did well to talk about them. Such stupidity just kills the value of great achievements. We must value meritocracy over mediocrity, no matter what.

-In TMF, you espoused repeatedly that process far outweights events, or a silver bullet which wantrapreneurs crave. Here in UNSCRIPTED , you carefully divided things into MICRO and MACRO. Micro involves thoughts, belief processes while macro deals with repeated actions to produce a resulting output. This reminded me of The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, where every little habit is significant as long they are chained together consistently. Masterful use of words and terminology, even for a non-academician like you, MJ.

-The role of a degree as a minimum training record in professional fields rather than a shortcut was not discussed in TMF. But here, I really appreciate it that you finally, FINALLY, discussed it now. I really waited for it. The revelation that you selected your doctor based on prior track records rather than merely a paper degree killed the bloody SCRIPTED professional career leach within me. I needed to get rid of the remnants of the SCRIPT which claimed that degrees are an important route to wealth. Yes, old habits die hard. unfortunately most will still continue to consider degrees as the EVENT more than the PROCESS behind it, gaining qualifications and track record.

-You also addressed the mind suckery of the Asian SCRIPTED culture. As a former victim of that genocide, thank you for remembering us.

I could go on, but I want to finish the book properly to give a more official review on Amazon. I recommend that UNSCRIPTED can be read without having to go through TMF. AS I have said, TMF is actually a softer read. While TMF may get you started, UNSCRIPTED will get you, 'Shit! Let's go! Let's go! I have X materials here and I can work on Y problem now!'

On a more personal note to @MJ DeMarco ,
Thank you.

Thank you for coming back to write another book that will kill the paradigm bullshit in my life once and for all. I have always thought deliverance comes from hard toil or angelic ministers, but now I know better.
Thank you for continuing to provide what I need to break away for the SCRIPT.

I might sound like a fanboy....but it's my honest take. I as a young student look up to you very much. I don't have many legitimate teachers in this field that is full of strife. I don't have a classroom of wealth and business besides my Fastlane ventures and the forum. But it's all here....I don't have to search far and long for the silver bullet. It's not needed. It never was.

Yet so many, so many don't realise that....and they will wander forever unless this book gets to them.

Thank you for staying here at this forum, always welcoming the newbies, protecting us from scammers and thieves of values, roping in seasoned entrepreneurs for us learn from. You could have retired once and for all, but you didn't. You stayed and worked on. You could have gone on to work at more ventures for more millions, as most entrepreneurs do. I would do the same, truthfully. But you didn't. You stayed on. And that means a lot to me, more than you ever know.

Thank you for putting up with our embarassing failures....wantrapreneural tendencies, simple business errors (breaking CENTS), you name it. I don't know how you have the patience not to just log out, but you have it. Thank you.

Yes, I have said too many 'thank yous' to warrant a thread derail, but I need to thank people more. @MustImprove, @smarty and @Kingmaker taught me that. Thank you, you three! It really makes live more happier and richer, money aside. I must admit that I have had been a negative introvert much of my life.

For now, I see that's lots of work to be done, but for once, I do not fear. I will do it. I will complete this. Young, not old.

I don't usually make promises or make far-fetched dreamy targets, but I'll make an exception today. One day, I really desire to meet you, maybe at a Fastlane Summit or meetup. Get to meet some of the Fastlaners I have been interacting with online. I envision a day which I can personally shake you in the hand, thank you and say, 'Because of you, I did it!' For real. You went beyond the call of duty to write this book, and maintain the forum. If that doesn't warrant immortal mention, I don't know what else does.

Once again, thank you, @MJ DeMarco for UNSCRIPTED . It means a lot to me, more than you ever know.

 

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[Contrarian]

I finished UNSCRIPTED a few days ago. And I've now read two thirds of it a second time.

I've waited til now to post about it because I just couldn't find the words to accurately express how I felt about the experience. I still can't, really. And I don't like giving fawning praise because it makes me sound like an arse-kissing twunt.

So let me post a few bullet point thoughts instead, and maybe the words will come as I write them:

• It's really two books in one. The transition is a bit jarring, but I think it's awesome all the same. I absolutely loved the philosophical section of the book - and a part of me also loves that the world's most smug and irritating people would find it highly offensive! Pretty much sums up my view of the world, plus a few things I hadn't thought about before. And reflects it back to me in a way that "moves the soul".
• I was expecting to find the execution part of the book - especially that covering the CENTS commandments - pretty boring, and a retread of what was already covered in TMF . That wasn't the case at all. Actually, the chapter on the Commandment of Need alone was way more than worth the price of the book. The concept of skewing value? Absolute gold. A systematic process for spotting a weakness in the market and creating something quantifiably more valuable in every single aspect. Well, there really will never be any shortage of profitable business opportunities if you take that information on board and use it.
• Between TMF and UNSCRIPTED , you've grown hugely as a writer and as a person @MJ DeMarco. It's a much deeper book, with a more mature and reflective outlook and style. Great stuff.
• I liked that I read it and actually understood everything that you spoke about, and how to actually take those concepts and apply them in business. Mostly, that's a reflection of my growth along the path. When I read TMF the first time, I mostly thought "this sounds awesome - what the hell do I do now?" Now I know exactly what to do. Still, UNSCRIPTED is a much more actionable book. Really everything you need to know to get started and keep going is right here.

So, most of those bullet points turned out to be full on paragraphs anyway. TL;DR: this is, hands down, *the* best book I've ever read. That might be because of its intrinsic awesomeness. That might be because it combines my two favourite things - entrepreneurship and the philosophy of freedom - and combines them into one awesome package. Probably a bit of both.

I buy everything on Kindle now. I sold most of my hardcopy books so I don't have to ship them when I move abroad in a month, or keep carting them around the world as I inevitably move around. I bought this on both Kindle and paperback. I'll be taking it wherever I go and displaying it prominently on the shelf. If not taking it off the shelf and reading a part of it every day as a potent reminder to stay on track.

Thank you so much for writing it.

 

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[GuitarManDan]

Read the whole book and finished it a few weeks back (thank you for the early release). It was brilliant, but now it's making waking up for my slowlane job harder every day.

Took a lot of notes and most importantly, I've been able to narrow down exactly what I want to do for my fastlane business. I'm in the early stages of the execution, but still very excited (identified a need/pain point, researched what's already out there, examined current pricing for similar services, identified common complaints about bad customer service experience for my future competitors that I can take advantage of, etc).

My favorite line from the book - "Momentum paralysis keeps you chained to your past while wasting away your future."

 

[startinup]

Midway through my second read...

Another classic MJ

I typed up a review on Amazon but it wouldn't let me submit the review. I even tried talking to customer service, and let's just say my experiences was not a SUCS one

Unscripted is informative, entertaining, and hard-hitting. I'm sure most people reading will buy this book, but for anyone on the fence... Buy this book. It is more informative, more specific, and even more entertaining than TMF . I didn't know how MJ would top TMF and even what information he would be able to add, but he came through and wrote a classic.

 

[The-J]

Ok full review from the beginning. Your book is long, therefore my review is too.

The first 5 chapters provided in the preview really take you into a world, similar to @Vigilante's story about the man at the sandwich shop. The life most people live. Poignantly written and explored.

The rest of Part 2 continues the theme, similar to FASTLANE, and really explores into greater detail WHY the Sidewalk and Slowlane are so attractive. FASTLANE doesn't do this, and it's a great slap in the face for the people who still believe the crap.

The problem is not the job, the marriage, the stock market, or the home ownership: it's the sale of the package as a life plan and a definition of success... even though the fact is you trade your TIME daily for money because you're trapped. MJ exposes this, yet again, but with a real look into the hyperrealities that make up the Script.

Part 3 is the proverbial awakening. The Script sucks, you don't have to live it, and the Unscripted life is there... if you're willing to make some radical changes. Those who have made it play from a position of F*ck You. I loved how brash MJ was about this, but that's kinda what we expect from him.

Part 4 is the REAL meat and potatoes of this book. A lot of it mirrors Fastlane, but we gotta keep in mind: Fastlane was published years ago (2011 I think) and a LOT has changed since then. Reading both really gives you an advantage because you then see that, yes, things CHANGE in the marketplace. Your job as an Unscripted Fastlane entrepreneur is to take advantage of this change.

Your biases are exposed. Bullshit scams that propogate in the marketplace are exposed. The marketing crap that pervades the Internet that people get sucked into because they just WANNA BE RICH! That's exposed too. This stuff needed to be said for years, and MJ finally said it.

What MJ said about BRO marketing is going to lose him some readership, some forum members, and some fans. He plays from a position of F*ck You. He could sell millions kowtowing to the crowd. But he doesn't. If any non-members read this: listen to him. Those people are out to take your money and are not invested in your success... no matter how much they say they are.

MJ then introduces the concept of the 'productocracy', which is a welcome addition and really shows that with a great offer, you don't have to advertise forever. With a me-too offer, you will have to advertise forever and you're slave to growing CPCs and generic competition with scale economies. I loved this because it really tells people that value is #1 and doesn't promote the kind of bullshit $150k/mo revenue with a 1% margin pushing generic crap using FB ads.

The commandments are back and, best of all, they're delved into in a different way. Questions that arose from FASTLANE are answered.

FASTLANE goes into greater detail about execution (marketing, operations, financial models), so if you want a book that shows you HOW to execute, get that. This book talks about kinetic execution, which is more about identifying which actions to take.

However, what makes the F*ck You life possible are what MJ eventually explains at the end of Part 4. If you fail at these 4 steps, you will be forever stuck in a business. You will stay a slave.

Part 5 is the cherry on top. For most, it won't be actionable. That's okay. However, if you've ever been curious as to what a money system does or how it works (and, best of all, how to choose investments for your money system no matter what the economy!) read this book the way through.

---

For those who have read FASTLANE: buy this book, too.

It provides more modern examples of businesses that fit the CENTS criteria and really explains what most people who run businesses (including myself) are doing wrong.

Also, multiple forum members are given mentions. It feels great to be a part of a community that is actually changing lives (including my own).

There's an entire section at the end about what happens when you don't follow the Unscripted formula to a T. There's another section at the end that explains things that can go wrong. (The impacts of singular bad choices can outweigh years of good ones)

Some people might buy this book first. That's fine: buy FASTLANE as well.

All in all, UNSCRIPTED sells a different life plan and a different life philosophy for those who are unable to find happiness in the Script. If you find happiness in the Script, good for you. This book won't do you much good.

But, if you're still out there struggling in a job, a 'business' masquerading as a job (cough), or if you're flat F*ckin broke with nowhere to go... start here.

 

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[G-Man]

Read it. Excellent.

 

[Drive2Riches]

Read it. Thanking the universe for providing me with at least one FTE.
And to MJ -- thanks for putting UNSCRIPTED in my hands!

 

[UncommonWay]

I finished reading UNSCRIPTED , and it was a smack in the face. I've been wasting far too much time living my SCRIPTED life, and fooling myself into believing I was working towards the Fastlane. This is a beefy philosophical tome, and it fits like a glove with TMF. Loved it. Starting it again, this time with a highlighter and notes for how to implement in my life.

 

[Richie Rich]

What a great review... Your style of writing is really good.. I was going to re-read TMF until my copy arrives, but considering your review.. I'm going to consume Unscripted first & then re-read TMF. Well done!

Thank you for saying that. It's funny, in high school, my English teacher used to rag on me about how bad of a writer I was (I never forgot his name, Mr. Nett). When I got to college and took College English, my teacher (I never forgot her name, Mrs. Gaskey) told me to forget everything I learned in high school English, that I was a blank slate. That was very liberating. The idea of writing a short story, a novella or even a novel has crossed my mind, but I always had an excuse. But after reading UnScripted , with MJ's encouragement (pg. 252 "If there's a book inside you, by all means, write it."), I have to now. Like Vigilante said, it's not enough to thank MJ, I, along with anyone who is still on the fence about going for it, breaking the script, we need to act, to execute, to do it.

That was my takeaway from reading UnScripted (sorry for capitalizing the S, I just think it looks better when referencing it), but you may not think so. I think that reading UnScripted first, then the Millionaire Fastlane , it puts TMF into a whole new context, while meshing and reinforcing the ideas and concepts that MJ presents in both books. While they are phenomenal reads on their own, combining the two into a dynamic duo, if you will, makes them two of the best, if not the best books about business/entrepreneurship I've read. I was thinking as I was reading UnScripted how the information MJ shares can and will stand the test of time, as the basics of business, the essence, i.e. offering value, filling needs and solving problems, supersedes everything else. Fifty, even One-hundred years from now, when the business books from yesteryear are being reviewed, MJ's books will be held in high regard, just as Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich and Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends and Influence People are today.

 

[IlyaP]

Just finished the book for the first time. Gonna take some time to absorb it and then re-read the parts I bookmarked to get them in my head.

I only have 1 question:
Can you give me a step-by-step, foolproof way of making money online? I only have $4.99 to start because I bought a $1997 course on dropshipping t-shirts through Amazon FBA, but then I realized I needed their monthly membership for $197/month so now my money is running low.
Oh yeah. I need to make a bunch of money preferably by the end of this month cuz rents is due and a real entrepreneur don't do jobs, ya feel?

lol all jokes aside, Unscripted is AMAZING!

I loved your failure stories (I guess I'm sadistic, sorry), the tough love (much needed), and the actual "step by step" methods of doing stuff that provides value.

The $17 I paid for this book provided 1000x more value than the "entrepreneurship and business" courses at my college. Now it's time to take action.

Thank you, MJ.

Edit: 1000x more value

 

[NoahK]

Just finished UNSCRIPTED today!

My most immediate takeaway? How different the entrepreneur mindset is from all of my natural tendencies.

I had to admit to myself that I am not a natural entrepreneur, (maybe from living too long with SCRIPTED programming), so I am very grateful to have this window opened to a new way of seeing opportunity and regarding value. Thank you, MJ.

Just reading through the chapters, idea building on idea, was immersive, like spending time in the foreign country of MJ's brain. The book made it easy to pick up the lens and see differently, and I know that repeated reading and, more importantly, practicing and executing on the principles, will only reinforce this.

I had a similar experience with TMF, but UNSCRIPTED was stronger and clearer for me.

I can tell that, in my case, this new and fresh perspective won't last on its own unless I choose to reinforce it and make it habitual.

It will take dedicated practice to retrain my brain, but it is doable, and necessary.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

they said it deflated them

That was my intent ... an emotional connection that exposes the bullshit life has allowed them to bury...

Like NEO, if they're open to going down the rabbit hole, it's there. Sad, but most won't take it.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Just two books from MJ is enough for the rest of your entrepreneur life.

That was my intent. Any future books to be read should be central to the problem or mission in front of you... need to learn how to market better? Read a marketing book! Need to do better branding? Read branding books! Looking to hire your first employees and create a good culture? Read books specific to your problem and desire for more knowledge.

 

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[mws87]

Read it. Love it. Reading it again. Trying to leave a review on Amazon but I guess I have to wait until it's released(?)

 

[Tedd]

Now that there's several hundred out there in the wild, guess it is time to start a thread for those of you who have read (or listened to!) UNSCRIPTED !

View attachment 14816

Hope everyone enjoyed it and found it to be a good "big picture" supplement for The Millionaire Fastlane !

To download the first (5) chapters: HERE
To learn more (website) visit: HERE
To order via Amazon: HERE
To listen via Audible: Coming Soon.

@MJ DeMarco Do we get to collect a new badge "Read UNSCRIPTED ?"

 

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[Scot]

Here this damn thread is. Yup, read it, loved it, and waiting not so patiently for the audiobook!

Ps, I find that reading Unscripted in my car at work between calls very ironic and satisfying

 

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[Raoul Duke]

Read it. Loved it. Nailed it.