A Blue Collar Approach to Creating a Life You Love

Ken Rusk's non-fiction book, Blue Collar Cash, delves into the subject of successful blue-collar careers. Rusk is a successful business owner who worked many blue-collar jobs before starting his lucrative construction business. Rusk wants to help readers realize they may have a future in the trades. The author outlines multiple character traits identified with successful blue-collar workers and entrepreneurs. This book follows the stories of many of Rusk's friends and employees who have discovered the ability to find comfort, peace, and financial freedom.

I appreciate the author's focus on comfort, peace, and financial freedom. Rusk refers to these three qualities throughout the book and shows the reader how to design a life to achieve them. One might think from the title that cash is the primary driver of success. However, without happiness, money means nothing. Additionally, the author emphasizes that he is not "anti-college." Rusk recognizes that some crucial careers require additional education. Instead, he argues that college should not be the standard, especially for people unsure of their career path when embarking on their college career. Rusk states that readers should envision their future and build career choices to achieve that dream.

There was nothing I disliked about this book. The author's assessment of choosing a college degree or a blue-collar trade is correct. I have seen too many young people attend college and incur massive debt with no vision of their future. Before starting this book, I thought I would disagree with the author on many points. However, Rusk proved me wrong and taught me valuable lessons about designing my life to suit my needs instead of living around my work. This book is for every person of working age.

I rate Blue Collar Cash 5 out of 5 stars. Although I am not in a blue-collar career and am not actively considering a switch from healthcare, I found many applicable discussions in this book. The author argues that people can develop successful and lucrative careers without college. I appreciate the author backing up his discussion points with specific research, and he often plays devil's advocate by considering the other side of his argument. I found only one minor error in this well-edited book, which did not impact my rating.

I recommend this book to readers who are considering their future careers. Young people who are told to go to college but are uncertain about their career paths can discover a love for the blue-collar lifestyle after reading this non-fiction book. College is not the only road to success. Rusk outlines a variety of blue-collar careers that can lead to financial freedom for readers. Although this book applies to all age groups, the author discusses the desire to reach young people before they go to college.

When we imagine a successful person with a successful career, many of us immediately conjure up images of a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or some such white-collar profession. Well, we cannot blame ourselves for that; it has been ingrained in us so deeply that we don't even think twice about it. Ken Rusk, in his book Blue-Collar Cash, redefines the meaning of a successful career. Our society—including our family, friends, and teachers—has always encouraged preparing for entering a white-collar profession. Unfortunately, we often look down on blue-collar jobs like plumbers, electricians, construction workers, etc. Rusk brings to light that, in today's world, jobs that require manual labor are very lucrative because they are in demand. He started his career as a ditch digger and now owns a multimillion-dollar business. He has faithfully practiced what he preaches now. Rusk shares his wisdom and experience to demonstrate that if you love working with your hands, are passionate about your work, and are willing to work hard, you will have a promising career working a blue-collar job.

I learned many illuminating truths from this book. Many students across the globe are struggling to complete higher education to secure a "good" job. They are struggling, not just financially but mentally also, because their true passion is something else. Instead of following the trade for which they would have willingly spent 80 hours per week, they build up monumental loans that will take a lifetime to repay doing a job they don't love. That doesn't make sense! Rusk educates readers on how this approach is affecting our workforce and not allowing people to live a life of comfort, peace, and freedom. He shares statistics, examples, and anecdotes of successful blue-collar professionals. This book has many wise, inspirational quotes; one of my favorites is this: "Be what you want to be, not what society expects you to be."

Rusk has undoubtedly created an insightful, eye-opening, practical masterpiece in Blue-Collar Cash. He invites readers to visualize their dreams, not just in their minds but on paper, giving them the chance to manifest. Rusk shares his struggles as a child who was bullied constantly, his career decisions, how he gradually worked up the ladder to achieve tremendous success, his troubling times with his daughter's illness, and the journey with his employees and mentees—helping them achieve their wildest dreams. It was touching to read about his journey, and the success he has achieved makes him an amazing role model for everyone around him.

Blue-Collar Cash will inspire you to follow your passion with so much confidence that it will help you succeed in whatever you aim to do in life. It will empower readers to take control of their future and live the life they always dreamed of. There is absolutely nothing I would want to change in this book. Every chapter of this book discusses a relevant topic, and there's nothing you would want to miss. For instance, the one that shares the story of Arthur Hills—a man without a college or professional degree who later designed over 240 world-class golf courses—is an encouraging lesson in how taking initiative can lift you to the pinnacle of success.

I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars because it has abundant wisdom, plenty of inspiring stories, and practical suggestions that make for an essential part of any reader's collection. I recommend it wholeheartedly to young students who are preparing for their future, people in jobs they hate, and people who are passionate about working with their hands but are afraid to leave the comforts of what some would call the "safe" option. I cannot stress enough how valuable this book is in terms of the courage it will provide. Rusk reminds us that a college degree is not always needed to be successful. There will always be a huge demand for skilled workers, and that, in turn, will raise their earning potential. So, why not identify what you are good at and invest in developing those skills to ensure you are paid handsomely for something you love to do? Grab a copy of this book to know exactly how to Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life.

Nisha DSouza