UNSCRIPTED: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Entrepreneurship

This is an absolutely life-changing book. This is for you if you're someone who isn't satisfied with a 'normal' life of slowly working your way up the career ladder to get slightly more money and slightly less free time at each step. It will inspire you and give you a belief that there is another way. This is absolutely not a how-to-get-rich-easy book, of which the author clearly hates. This is a book for people who want out of the rat race, are prepared to work really hard, take risks, expect failure, bounce back and find ways to win. It's not a step by step guide to how to set up a winning business, but there are tons of nuggets of wisdom in there, and more importantly for me gave me the mindset needed and started me dreaming. I've read this and the author's other book, The Millionaire Fastlane. Both are excellent but largely cover the same ground and I wouldn't say it's essential to read both - there's probably 15% added value in reading both but you'll get the idea from either. I've really come to like MJ Demarco and the way he writes, but honestly it took a few chapters before I was convinced. He writes in a casual and sweary style which can appear a bit arrogant at first - then you realise he actually is a multi-millionaire and can back up everything he says; he's talking from experience, has been hugely successful with his businesses and not just through luck or fortunate timing. That puts him in a position where he can afford to really not care what you think of him or his writing. He'll tell you things in a frank way that others trying to create a more favourable impression would shy away from. He's not saying his opinions to be popular or to sell more books - he really doesn't need to. This frankness and openness grew on me and I found it easy and very enjoyable to read. Not everyone will like this book, many will read it and find a reason not to act on the contents, and even more will play the victim role of why it couldn't apply to them or why they couldn't have the dream life that it offers. Not for the closed-minded. For everyone else, it could well change your life.

This book through sharp writing, incredible insights and clear, no-nonsense descriptions of valuable entrepreneurial frameworks will change the average open-minded employee dreampreneurs life. (If applied) I laugh-cringed at the number of “don’t be the guy-who…” descriptions that I’ve been! I literally couldn’t put this book down. All free time where my brain didn’t hurt was spent reading it. Very rarely does someone give you so much value, that you would be in disbelief that what was offered was given 10x and some. All that’s left for me is to execute on what I’ve learned, and for you to buy this book. I’ve bought and sent copies to my brother and friend. A true productocracy. Thanks MJ DeMarco!

A lifechanging book.

Overall this book provides incredible value for money. I had the audio version and found myself going back to re-listen to whole sections (always a good sign) to make sure I'd picked up the concepts properly. The book starts off describing 'the script' - the invisible thing we've all be following like sheep before moving into how you can become unscripted through starting your own business venture and making your money work hard. It's a fitting follow on to Millionaire Fastlane which is also a good book. A highlight for me would be the chapter on personal finance. It's worth the price of the book alone and made me really re-examine my investments and where my money was going. If De Marco released a book just on this subject, I'd be first in line. A couple of negatives - I found the profane language and negativity of the first few chapters a bit off putting. I'm no prude, but the use of the F-word feels overdone and unnecessary. Maybe MJ can do a 'radio edit'? He is also very critical of 'Money, Master the Game' which I think has a lot of value, especially for the regular investor not interested in the entrepreneurial life.

This books hands down is the best book that I have read in non-fiction for a long time. It’s a long book and full of content. While I am from the UK and some of the parts regarding US savings and terms like 401k will not apply to us in the UK, but we would have our own versions of these government savings, tax, and other financial entities. It’s the other stuff and the real message that the book and narrative bring to the table that will give you many aha moments. It’s very well written and edited, and the content is just GOLD. If I had of had this book given to me at school, I would of left school with all the answers that I would of needed, rather than being brainwashed into how to be a employee for someone else, making them rich instead. I hope this review finds like minded people, who want to escape from the rat race, finding a better path and creating massive value for others. Having read many books in this niche, this one will not be beaten for a very long time. I am also a Demarco, but I am no relation to the Author, so this review is totally an independant review. I bought the Kindle Version.

Fortunately, I have read Millionaire Fastlane, so I knew that this was a book that would deliver. The book is highly intimidating. The writing style varies from highly educated and referenced to ranting, repetitive and crude. This is a long book, over 400 kindle pages and the first quarter is dedicated to a rant against pensions and university debt, before any alternative is even put forward. Still reading at this point? What if I tell you that you won't find a plan of action or specific recommendation to follow? Still going to stick it out? Good because I made around 150 highlights. MJ knows his stuff and explains it angrily, sarcastically, harshly but very very memorably. Whilst he doesn't tell you the specifics of what you should be doing he provides insightful strategies performed by himself and others. His mission is to educate, warn of pitfalls and dead ends and prepare you for a worthwhile and lasting success. It was worth my time and I sincerely hope that you put in the necessary time for the value and values on offer.

Got the audiobook, started listening and got absolutely hooked! Had to listen to the first 3 hours 3 times and then realised that I really wanted to be able to read it, highlight and bookmark so I can refer to the book again in the future. That prompted me to get the Kindle edition with audible narration so I could read the most important parts myself as well! There are so many things that I'll be implementing/thinking/starting straight away but looking forward to using it and referencing in the future, especially the 'money system'. Currently I run a successful but small company which I realise now, turned into a job rather than a business. Reading the book helped me to see what I need to do to get off the slowlane on to the fastlane! I have been some so inspired, I've been sending the book to many of my family and friends and will be re-reading it again in the future! Thank you, MJ for this life changing book and now I'm reading TMF again to see what I've missed!

I love the execution parts of DeMarco's books. He lays it out honestly without sugarcoating things. First 20% is a repetition of his first book and last 20% takes in a fantasy land where you have achieved the unscripted life. The main core is the remaining 60% which holds lot of value for an aspiring entrepreneur.

Llevo años leyendo libros sobre riqueza, emprendimiento, negocios y desarrollo personal. Encontré en The Millionaire Fastlane una oda al sentido común para emprendedores, muy alejado de todos los gurús que pululan en el mercado. Éste segundo libro me ha costado más leerlo. No porque sea peor, sino todo lo contrario. Es mucho más extenso y trabaja mucho más las creencias y la mentalidad necesarias para emprender con éxito. Te da una patada en el culo cuando hace falta, y después te da las respuestas para saber por dónde empezar, y continuar. Está muy orientado al mercado U.S., así que algunas cosas (pocas) no aplicarán literalmente a España u otros mercados. Pero todo lo demás funciona estés donde estés. Los principios son los mismos, y MJ los expone en un marco que hace que no puedas olvidarlos. Es un gran storyteller y sabe de lo que habla. Sigo recomendando más el primer libro que éste. Lo dicho: no porque sea mejor, sino porque éste es más denso. Tiene todo el contenido de TMF, pero expicado con más detalle y más ejemplos. Lee los dos y no te arrepentirás. Es la mejor inversión que puedes hacer. Y después de leerlo, no pierdas la oportunidad de unirte al foro. No vas a encontrar una comunidad de emprendedores como esa en muchos sitios.

Great book eye opening... Especially when you think success is an easy road.

MJ's second book has been one of my most anticipated reads in a long time. As a fan of Millionaire Fastlane, I have raved about it to friends that, having studied self-development for 15+ years, if I had to do over and could only read one book, it would be Millionaire Fastlane. Even with this new release, I still wouldn't change my opinion, since reading Millionaire Fastlane would lead me directly to Unscripted. Unscripted builds on Millionaire Fastlane as a tangible and comprehensive roadmap towards accelerated wealth and the self-actualising lifestyle: It parallels John Galt's 60+ page rant in Atlas Shrugged, and Goldstein's manifesto in 1984, in terms of truth-bombs to deconstruct and analyse the entire facade and mechanism of mainstream society, ultimately providing a convincing answer book/cheat sheet on how to live life properly. The comparison is only approximate, since MJ's material is actually exponentially more valuable, as it directly applies to our current dominant social structure of capitalism: In a less open society, such revelations would be considered forbidden knowledge, reserved for the highest echelons of society - such is the impact of the book's messages. If there's anythings to fault about the book, it would be that some literary devices such as profanity or hashtags fall flat in impact: But for a self-funded book by a millionaire who doesn't need your money, and who dishes out life-changing knowledge because he can - criticism of the book just seems counterproductive for the betterment of oneself and society in general. Whether you are: - An entrepreneur looking for a better roadmap - A wantrepreneur looking for your next fix of inspiration - A self-developer looking for paradigm shifts - Anyone going through a mid-life crisis or quarter-life crisis, struggling with vocational choices or life direction, or senses that something about this life just seems "off" (like a splinter in one's mind, to paraphrase Morpheus from The Matrix) - Anyone who has dreams and passions and an ever-expanding bucket list, and feel that the conventional "work/rest/play" lifestyle wouldn't lead to fulfillment in this lifetime You should read Millionaire Fastlane first for the lingo and premise, then read Unscripted for the extended worldview and step-by-step processes. The only people the book might not be right for are: - Terminally ill patients - Really old people Because such knowledge would be a one-way ticket to #RegretCentral, even though it's unlikely the regretter's fault, since the Fastlane/Unscripted mentality is rarely understood or consciously chosen, and one shouldn't regret what was never an option to them. Still, such individuals can still benefit by spreading the knowledge to their loved ones, and breaking as many Sidewalk and Slowlane cycles as possible, for karma points and nepotistic upward mobility alike. Unscripted and Millionaire Fastlane are the types of book you read, then gift to at least everyone you really care about - because it'll be lonely when you go against the grain, lonely when you struggle to build something of value, and lonely at the top: The journey will be even more rewarding with your loved ones cheering you on, or fighting alongside you. Read it, share it, and act on it.

I wish I cd rate it 10 on 5. Some books act like a bridge and carry u to the other side safely over deep waters . This is the one. It's a must must must read. For anyone who hates 9 to 5 job and wants to break free.

I really don't know how to describe what it felt for me reading this book. It is like someone giving you the slap on the face to wake up and see the things and the life around us for what they really are. How life can be stolen, just like that .. The book is heavy, also maybe a bit depressing .. but it is so raw, brutally honest, and genius in the way it is written and explained.