REAL TALK

A compact guide to making clear-headed decisions at the start of adult life and work.

In his nonfiction debut, Qasim provides a life overview aimed at college students and younger adults to help them separate the important stuff from the trivia—and to think clearly about the important stuff in order to achieve success. The author measures success very practically: He asserts that within five years of graduating college, one should be earning at least double the national salary average and be able to pay expenses like rent and food, contribute to retirement plans, and set aside a rainy-day fund for emergencies. He urges his readers to follow their passions—but to do so intelligently, as maybe those passion won’t translate into prudent career choices. “Imagine graduating with an arts degree and having more than $100,000 in student loan debt only to find a job that barely pays the bills,” Qasim writes with typical bluntness. “It’s just not practical.” In these pages, he mentors readers on everything from designing an effective resume to the intricacies of dealing with job recruiters to behavior tips when starting a new job, such as being a little personal (but just a little: “There’s a difference between talking about your family and boasting about how you got super lit in college”). Throughout the book, the author maintains the same wonderfully straightforward tone, warning his readers about BS and “partial” BS while always being completely direct. “I’m sure your manager/employer cares about you to an extent,” he writes on the topic of keeping a resume updated. “They’ll walk the walk, but if they have to choose between a higher profit margin and laying you offthey’re going to do the latter.” Every reader has something to learn from such a helpful coach.

A wide-ranging, detailed, and extremely useful introduction to work and finances.