????史蒂文森稱，詹姆斯是在“在單人紙牌游戲中作弊”——好比你在游戲中一直處于優(yōu)勢，但知道自己可能拿不到需要的那最后一張牌，于是就悄悄把它從牌堆里撿了出來。詹姆斯認為自己能成為這家房地產(chǎn)投資信托公司一名出色的項目經(jīng)理，但他缺乏成為團隊領(lǐng)導(dǎo)所需的談判技巧和情商。他缺少這一張牌，但他不愿承認——他認為他能夠贏牌，就算他缺乏升職所需的一項關(guān)鍵技能。后來詹姆斯終于直面自己，轉(zhuǎn)到了一份更適合他的分析性工作，人也不再那么沮喪了。

????由于這些對話是在史蒂文森與辛諾威之間進行的，因此，這本書的不足之處在于，每章的結(jié)尾都是辛諾威寫的一位成功人士的簡短介紹——包括創(chuàng)立MTV和VH1、后來擔任美國在線（AOL）總裁的鮑勃·皮特曼，為“美國而教”（Teach for America）的創(chuàng)始人溫迪·科普——重點關(guān)注他們?nèi)绾喂芾碜约旱氖聵I(yè)。問題是記錄在冊的人早已非富即貴，他們面對的職業(yè)選擇是我們大多數(shù)人所沒有的。一旦坐擁百萬美金，或者早已在相應(yīng)領(lǐng)域出類拔萃，這個時候再來思考自己將來要留下些什么、或者做出大膽的新選擇自然要容易很多。

????話雖如此，哪怕你只是對現(xiàn)狀有一丁點不滿，只要聽聽這樣一位從死亡邊緣回來的智者侃侃而談自己的職業(yè)領(lǐng)悟和人生經(jīng)驗，就會獲得不少啟迪。

????譯者：楊智

????Stevenson says that James was cheating at solitaire -- that moment when you've been winning the game but know you can't get the one last card you need, so you slip it out from under the pile. James thought he'd be a good project manager at the REIT but he lacked the negotiating skills and emotional intelligence to be a team leader. He was missing that one card but wouldn't admit it -- he thought he could win the game even though he lacked a crucial skill he needed to move up in his job. Once James truthfully confronted this fact about himself, he was able to move into an analytical job better suited to his talents, which ultimately reduced his frustrations.

????As engaging as these conversations between Stevenson and Sinoway are, one drawback to the book is that each chapter ends with a mini profile of successful people written by Sinoway -- including Bob Pittman, who launched MTV and VH1 and later became the president of AOL (AOL); and Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach for America -- focusing on how they managed their careers. The rub is that those profiled are already either very wealthy or very famous, giving them career options most of us don't have. It's a lot easier to be thinking about your legacy or taking bold new career steps when you're sitting on millions or are at the top of your field.

????With that said, anyone who feels even slightly discontent with the status quo could benefit from career insights and life lessons from a wise man who escaped death.