"Everybody needs an evil plan. Everybody needs that crazy, out-there idea that allows them to actually start doing something they love, doing something that matters."- Hugh MacLeod
In the last few years, the economy has been turned on its head. No one is safe. No job is 100 percent secure. No corporation is unshakable. No position is irreplaceable. In a sense, the party is officially over. Hugh MacLeod's new book, Evil Plans: On the Road to World Domination, addresses these issues and much more.
People need a plan. MacLeod believes we should have an "evil plan." He is the creator of the popular blog, www.gapingvoid.com. He is also an artist, entrepreneur, author, and wears a variety of other hats. He is creative, forward-thinking, open-minded and generous. His writing style and artistic flair are similar to writers such as Seth Godin and David Meerman Scott.
Evil Plans is a simple read, yet it strikes at the very core of one's fears, aspirations, hopes and dreams. This isn't an understatement. The chapters touch upon such subjects as being trapped in a dead-end job, how to market projects and ideas, and why it's not only okay but necessary to think outside the norm.
Throughout the book, MacLeod includes his artwork, which helps lighten the mood. This is not a book filled with nothing but doom and gloom. It is quite the opposite; his words and art inspire, motivate, and will make you laugh.
My only complaint with his vision is possibly the oversimplification. This economy is still struggling and if there are bills to pay and mouths to feed, even a dead-end, boring job is a paycheck. MacLeod's advice would be to leave this type of job before it steals your soul and corrupts your heart. One has to respect his optimism and go-for-it attitude. This book gives the reader a blueprint for hatching his or her own 'evil plan'. Having the guts and determination to follow through with the plan however is another story....