Go for It!: Finding Your Own Frontier

Being an Alaskan, I was curious to see how this book would explain the concept of frontier. The author is right-on with her belief that what constitutes frontier is unique and personal for each of us. We all have our frontiers and it takes courage, determination and risk for us to test these 'frontier' boundaries, to go beyond our usual comfort level in order to attain our dreams. It just so happens that Alaska IS a frontier and it attracts many people with a 'frontier state of mind'. That's what makes the people and diversity of our state so wonderfully unique. However, even if you live in a city or suburb you can have your own frontiers - the challenge is being able to identify what this frontier is and how to go for it. Judith Kleinfeld does an amazingly insightful job while also creating a very readable and enjoyable book, accessible to anyone who has ever wondered,' What can I do to stretch my limits or go for my dreams'?Frontiers are like Kierkegard's 'leap of faith'. What most of us don't realize is that we can take that leap and end up on our feet with our lives the better for this risk. This book looks at a new frontier of ideas. Thank you Dr. Kleinfeld.

"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to the whisper which is heard by him alone." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson When Judith Kleinfeld's husband first heard the whisper calling him to a new frontier, Judith decided to embrace this new challenge. While Andrew was pursuing his dream of becoming a senator, Judith created new intellectual trails in the unexplored territories of Eskimo, Indian, and Aleut childhood education. Through her research, she was able to encourage positive change in the Alaskan education system. Together, Judith and Andrew Kleinfeld discovered "the frontier strategy." "Go For It," is not only an example of how two people ventured out into the unknown, it is also a guide for all Americans who want to find their own frontier and make a significant contribution to society. Judith Kleinfeld takes what she has learned from living in a physical frontier and shows how frontier living can also be a state of mind. She even explains how you can "homestead the electronic frontier." One of the most intriguing aspects of this work was the entire concept of a "frontier." The American view seems to be a unique in so many ways. When I looked up "frontier" in my thesaurus, I was surprised to find: border, boundary, confines, edge, limit. This book is not about limits, it is about expanding "borders", not seeing "boundaries," breaking out of "confines" and boxes, being on the "cutting edge." Perhaps it is about not even seeing limits. "Go For It," is a book about freeing the self, finding your true calling, and exploring new and as yet undiscovered intellectual, physical or spiritual territories. It is truly an exciting study of the American psyche. "Go For It" is also filled with captivating stories of how Americans made their mark, how they expanded their skills and how they became more resourceful and inventive. I loved the story about the golf course with a den of red foxes, the couple who won a homestead in Alaska's land lottery and the story of the girl who dreamed of standing on icebergs in the night with her dark hair flowing in the wind. There is a sense of romance and many journeys to a frontier start in the imagination. "In Alaska, the northern lights shimmer in the night, swaying in great canopies of red and green, blue and purple, silver and gold. As I sit at my computer ... the sun is rising over the blue mountains. Bare, black aspen trees shoot into the sky and the clouds hover, filled with delicate shades of rose and purple light. You feel expansive. Your ideas match the mountains." ~pg. 98 Judith writes with an optimistic sense of purpose. She has found a place of authentic happiness and knows what it takes to lead a satisfying and successful life. She asks questions to encourage you to take the first step, then she shows you how to find or create your own frontier. There is also information on "what you need for your journey" or "how to become a frontier angel." She also e

What is it about the American frontier that is like nothing else in the world? "Americans are the people of the frontier. To be there means going out on the edge, doing something different with your life, making a mark. You can pioneer wherever you are." (Page 18)I especially like Judith Kleinfeld's energetic writing & her use of lively stories about people who have traveled to Alaska, interspersed with statistics, newspaper headlines & recipes for success.Rebeccasreads highly recommends this for those who want to GO FOR IT!

I found this book very helpful - inspirational yet with practical steps to achieve the vision. With so many negative commentators focusing on the deficiencies of America, it is refreshing to read a book that reminds us of our forgotten strengths and how the quest to follow our dream, whatever it may be, really unites us and sets Americans apart from other nationalities.Although written in a very easy to read understandable format, it seems to be based on real research utilizing the methodology of scholarly analysis. As the author states in the Afterword, "I want America to get their grove back, to realize that they are truly a magnificent people. ... the self-help book is the quintessential American genre. What could be more fitting than to write a serious book about American psychology that masquerades as a self-help book?" I found the examples from the author's own life as well as the other anecdotes very relevant in illustrating the book's themes.I also liked that the author gave practical advice and illustrations of "finding your frontier" without having to move to Alaska or necessarily making major changes in your life. You can ease into it.

Go For It! is the rare self-help book, authored by an academic, that contains not one iota of off-putting jargon. Written in an inspirational, almost cheerleading tone, with nary a footnote, it offers a multitude of ways to get out of your rut and into the life you've only been dreaming of. A professor of psychology, Kleinfeld is a warm-hearted guide to the frontiers of life, those out there and those inside ourselves. Based on her own and her husband's experiences in Alaska, as well as the lives and anecdotes of numerous other adventurers of every type, Go For It! shows readers how to be true to themselves by taking reasonable prepared risks. According to Kleinfeld, it pays to ask yourself the right questions and take advantage of possibilities you thought you're never be able to realize. Frontiers are a state of mind as well as a physical location. With this book, anyone can make their personal frontiers wonderfully habitable if they but choose to.