Adam's Reviews > Free Agent Nation: How Americans New Independent Workers Are Transforming the Way We Live

"In hindsight, it was inevitable."

This was a very enjoyable read to get to consume in 2020, nearly two full decades after Pink originally published. Much of what he was hypothesizing has become reality and certain points that might have been considered speculative are now closer to what is accepted as status quo.

As the owner of a micro-business, I resonated with a lot of what Pink offered as the motivation, intent, and practical obstacles that exist for solo or small business operators. Still, there were refreshing ideas and ways of thinking throughout the book that affirmed my decision making and gave me ideas to help build opportunities for our team and others in the future. I highly recommend.

Quotes

On the Status Quo:

"The Organization Man. The title marched into our national vocabulary. The label described what was then the quintessence of work in America: an individual, almost always male, who ignored or buried his own identity and goals in the service of a large organization, which rewarded his self-denial with a regular paycheck, the promise of job security, and a fixed place in the world."

"But most (knowledge workers) were thinking smaller. Like me, they were tired and dissatisfied. They just wanted to be in charge of their lives."

On the Need for a New Way

"Freedom—the ability to exercise one’s will—has become essential for making meaning in work."

“Job diversity” is essential because “job security” has evaporated.

"'Working when, where, how much, under what conditions and for whom you want.' As both Edward Stillingfleet and Abraham Maslow would have understood, free will—not free cola— quenches the thirst for meaning."

On the "Hollywood Studio" Strategy

"Talented people (actors, directors, writers, animators, key grips, and so on) and very small firms come together for a particular, finite project. When they complete the project, they disband, each participant having learned new skills, forged new connections, deepened existing relationships, enhanced their reputations within the industry, and earned a credit they can add to their résumé. Some portion of these people may gather again—along with a new crop of people—for another project. And when that project wraps, the free agents again will head their separate ways."

"In Free Agent Nation, loyalty isn’t dead. It’s different. Instead of the up-and-down loyalty that runs from an individual to an institution, free agents practice a new side-to-side loyalty—a fierce allegiance to clients, colleagues, ex-colleagues, teams, professions, projects, and industries. In some ways, loyalty is stronger than ever."

On the benefits of Free Agent Nation:

"Indeed, where the Calvinist work ethic called for self-denial, the free agent work ethic permits—and at times, demands—self-expression."

"Women are a driving force behind free agency, and could possibly dominate the free agent economy."

"Full-time independent contractors earn an average of 15 percent more than their employee counterparts."

"Deep into the middle class, Americans are enjoying a standard of living unmatched in world history and unthinkable to our ancestors just a hundred years ago."