80,000 Hours

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘If you’re worried about wasting your life, read this book.’ Rutger Bregman, author of Humankind

‘The best book ever written about how to have a fulfilling and impactful career.’ Liv Boeree, world poker champion

‘Original and helpful . . . Anyone fretting over how to spend their 80,000 hours might start by investing a few in Mr Todd’s book.’ The Economist

A ridiculously in-depth guide to finding a fulfilling, AI-proof career

You have about 80,000 hours in your career: 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year, for 40 years. That makes it the most important decision you’ll ever make.

Choose well, and you can have a more rewarding, interesting life, and also help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. Choose poorly, and you could waste decades.

So what should you do? Most advice is based on no research, instead offering misleading platitudes like ‘follow your passion’. And it is surprisingly out-of-date, focusing on traditional paths rather than those most likely to thrive in an age of AI.

Benjamin Todd is the founder of 80,000 Hours, a nonprofit that has spent over fifteen years researching how to have a fulfilling and impactful career. Now, he explores how anyone can find one, covering:

• What really makes for a dream job, and why finding it probably doesn't involve "following your passion"
• How to have a positive impact in your career, and why doing so might involve focusing on unregulated AI as much as on climate change
• Which roles are likely to be automated, and how to ensure yours isn't among them

You’ll come away with a plan to use your 80,000 hours in a way that’s rewarding, AI-proof and fulfils your potential to make a difference.

PRAISE FOR 80,000 HOURS

‘This career guide is among the most thoughtful and grounded I’ve seen.' Cal Newport, author of Deep Work

‘A remarkably rigorous guide about how to find that perfect career for you.’ Ali Abdaal, author of Feel-Good Productivity

‘Based on evidence and good sense, not platitudes.’ Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of our Nature

‘The most informative book you can read if you’re stuck trying to make one of life’s most important decisions.’ Hannah Ritchie, author of Not the End of the World