review: the 30-second commute by stephanie dickison

This post contains affiliate links.

After reading My So-Called Freelance Life and Stephanie Dickison’s review of it, I decided to read Dickison’s book. In her review, she expressed that she was initially concerned The 30-Second Commute would be like My So-Called Freelance Life.She had no cause for concern; while both good books regarding the general topic of freelancing, they aren’t very similar.

The 30-Second Commute is a glimpse of a freelancer’s life. Those seeking a how-to guide should look to a number of other titles, though there are some insights that can be gained. I would recommend it for anyone considering becoming a freelancer. For example, Dickison makes it clear that her life is not all about hanging around the computer in her pajamas waiting for inspiration. If someone reading this book was hoping being a freelancer would allow him or her to live such a life, it quickly becomes clear that doing so doesn’t lead to success. A series of lists throughout the book show just how much has to get done each week.

Although this book’s primary audience is likely to be writers and other sorts of freelancers, the humor interspersed throughout should make it appealing to those interested in the memoir/biography genre as well. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of reviewing books, music, and restaurants. In the section on music she writes about the ridiculousness of the genres and the elitist snobs who despise the mainstream bands she has in her CD collection while also discounting her suggestions of bands they’ve never heard of simply because they’ve never heard of them. I was laughing out loud.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, ECW Press.