Book Review: Rejection Proof
Jiang, Jia. Rejection Proof: How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection. Harmony Books, 2015.
Fuqua 2009 MBA Jia Jiang is the author of a new and heartfelt book about his personal journey to overcome fear of rejection.
In Rejection Proof, Jiang explains that he left his first post-MBA position as a marketing manager at a Fortune 500 company to pursue his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. After assembling a team of coders to create a game app, he pitched his idea to an outside investor, but it was rejected. His personal difficulty in dealing with “no” led Jiang to devote his next 100 days to a self-directed program of rejection therapy so he could learn to thrive in the face of rejection.
Adapting a game invented by a Canadian entrepreneur, Jiang purposely sought out rejection to desensitize himself to denial. He challenged rejection 100 times and video-recorded every experience. He also started a website http://fearbuster.com/ where he blogged about his experience. In Rejection Proof, Jiang reports what he learned about himself and others over those 100 days.
At first Jiang approaches strangers with an absurd request and he is filled with fear. After the encounter, he feels shameful. But later, viewing his video-recording, he analyzes his own and others’ reactions and gets a new perspective. Within the first week he is able to approach people on the street with confidence and composure. He learns that asking for favors in a friendly and open way sometimes motivates strangers to say “yes” to his preposterous requests. He learns strategies for turning a negative reaction into acceptance.
After one of Jiang’s video-recordings goes viral, he becomes famous. He is now a popular keynote speaker with a top Ted Talk and has been featured on Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, Yahoo News, CNN, Time Magazine, the Jeff Probst Show and more. In Rejection Proof, Jiang writes with forthright honesty and amiable humor. His book is an easy and enjoyable read. Recommended.
Also available as an eBook on OverDrive and as an audiobook on OverDrive.
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