Review: A THEATRE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DISNEY, GOOGLE & THE NFL at Book Review

"Dreams take hard work to come through," notes author Brett N. Axler in his new book, A THEATRE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DISNEY, GOOGLE & THE NFL: WHAT IT TAKES TO LAND A JOB WITH THE WORLD'S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER COMPANIES. Eventually, though, you get there.

As a 27-year-old Broadway technical director hopeful turned-techno geek and now Silicon Valley Google project manager, there's been one recurring lesson. Life moves incredibly fast and in completely unexpected ways. So, don't burn bridges, and don't discount anything. And by the way, you have to learn to speak up and market yourself!

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable." ~ Christopher Reeves

Throughout the book, Axler reveals how his pursuits took on a life of their own and created one for himself that he didn't expect. As an older person with a bit more living under my belt, it's a statement that offers far more value than anything else in the book. Although, the resource part of this guide is pretty awesome. As a read, it is conversational, quick, and filled with lots of real-life, examples that resonate.

Notwithstanding that sustaining the kind of physical and mental drive Axler seems to require does come with the potential for burnout (and there's a chapter about that), what he offers is a gentler dose of real-world mentorship for young readers who are most in need of it. There's no magic bullet.

At times it is a bit of a chore wading through the verbosity of his personal stories. But hardly boring. The insights go deep. And because of his young age, and the very fact that he has been growing up in the overwhelming speed of the technological age, there's more than just a potential to be inspired. Here, you have the opportunity to be included.

You can be the smart kid in the room. You can be definitive about what you want and want to achieve. Your thinking and your perspectives are possibly different, but not weird. Not everyone will see or understand your vision. They'll often ignore it or have disdain for your ideas as silly or irrelevant. But you're not alone. And for every person who doesn't get it, there will be another who unexpectedly, yet serendipitously, takes a chance with you and opens a door. A statement you absolutely need to hear. Because although yes, there is work involved, you're never too young or inexperienced to be an entrepreneur. The second you start thinking of yourself as one and behaving like one, you simply are.

Chapters are headed by catchy titles and are filled with Director's Notes and Show Notes that focus your attention on the important aspects of each. And the entire book is filled with completely digestible, unintimidating, skill-building advice. Best of all, you are given actual tools you can use to achieve your goals. Axler has translated all his theatrical, music, and film experience in one form or another, into a step-by-step, How-To. It's all really meaty stuff right down to, how not to get rejected by a computer algorithm so that your resume makes it to the HR Department.

Overall, A THEATRE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DISNEY, GOOGLE & THE NFL: WHAT IT TAKES TO LAND A JOB WITH THE WORLD'S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER COMPANIES is an essential manual for any young person trying to steer their own career course, and a great informational piece as well for older readers trying to re-invent or re-enter the unknown territory of today's workforce expectations.

Currently available on Kindle or in Paperback at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

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