THE ESCAPE ARTISTS

Joshua Piven

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Price: £9.99

ISBN: 978 0 071 47926 4

Anna King meets people who chose not to get a ‘real job’


You’re at a party and you break the ice with the classic “So, what do you do?”, halfexpecting the standard accountant/teacher/nurse/ lawyer reply. But instead the person answers: “I’m a racing car driver”. Do you think, “are they crazy?”, or do your eyes light up as you begin to grill them on how they got into such an exciting career.

If you fall into the latter camp, you may want to pick up a copy of The Escape Artists. In this book the author of the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series interviews people who chose career paths less travelled. From a giant octopus hunter, to an alligator wrestler, treasure hunter, Star Trek fanatic, rapids rafting guide, to an auditor who gave up a lucrative career on Wall St to become a special ops diver, they’re all people who sacrificed money, security, and sometimes even personal relationships to pursue a career doing something that they love.

While the big question for me was: “What drives these escape artists to make job choices that are extraordinary, dangerous, or just plain wacky?” (as it asks on the back cover), I finished the book still waiting for the answer. The book’s lighthearted, humorous journalistic style makes for easy reading, but, frustratingly, it doesn’t really dig into the minds of these escape artists and determine what makes them tick.

However, if nothing else, the book is a good reminder that work shouldn’t rule your life. In the words of Jack Viorel, who turned his passion for surfing into a career: “Life, not work, can be your priority. In this day and age of obesity, stress, and the almighty buck, there are paths that allow for more balanced lives. When your boss asks you to stay longer at work, say no. If you get fired, then the job wasn’t worth it.”