Smart People Should Build Things: How to Restore Our Culture of Achievement, Build a Path for Entrepreneurs, and Create New Jobs in America

Andrew Yang, the founder of Venture for America, offers a unique solution to our country's economic and social problems--our smart people should be building things. Smart People Should Build Things offers a stark picture of the current culture and a revolutionary model that will redirect a generation of ambitious young people to the critical job of innovating and building new businesses. As the Founder and CEO of Venture for America, Andrew Yang places top college graduates in start-ups for two years in emerging US cities to generate job growth and train the next generation of entrepreneurs. He knows firsthand how our current view of education is broken. Many college graduates aspire to finance, consulting, law school, grad school, or medical school out of a vague desire for additional status and progress rather than from a genuine passion or fit. In Smart People Should Build Things, this self-described recovering lawyer and entrepreneur weaves together a compelling narrative of success stories (including his own), offering observations about the flow of talent in the United States and explanations of why current trends are leading to economic distress and cultural decline. He also presents recommendations for both policy makers and job seekers to make entrepreneurship more realistic and achievable.

About the Author :
Andrew Yang is the founder and CEO of Venture for America, a major nonprofit that places top college graduates in start-ups for two years in emerging US cities to generate job growth and train the next generation of entrepreneurs. He has been the CEO, cofounder, or executive at a number of technology and education companies. Yang was named a Presidential Ambassador of Global Entrepreneurship and a Champion of Change by the White House and one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business. He was also named to the National Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Department of Commerce. A major documentary with an Oscar-winning director, Generation Startup, featuring Yang and Venture for America, was released in Fall 2016 and is available on Netflix and other streaming platforms. He is a graduate of Columbia Law, where he was an editor of the Law Review, James Kent Scholar, and winner of the Class of 1912 Prize, and Brown University, where he graduated with degrees in economics and political science. Tim Paige is an audiobook narrator with a passion for rom coms, superheroes, and telling stories that provide an escape from the world (or a new lens with which to view it). A former full-time touring musician, Tim has played on some of the biggest stages in the world. He is the voice of The More You Know on NBC, and has provided voice-over for many national commercials, promos, trailers, and video games. When he's not narrating audiobooks or voicing fun projects, you'll most often find him playing pretend with his two sons, shouting at the television during Syracuse Orange basketball and football games, or cooking up tasty vegan treats.