What do a stand-up comedian, a Navy SEAL, a minor league pitcher, and a circus clown have in common?

They Are All Escape Artists! A podcast with best-selling author (and escape artist) Josh Piven. 

Have you ever thought that you'd rather be doing something else with your life? Like every day when you get up? If so, this interview is for you. Josh Piven joins us today for an Entrepreneur edition of Total Picture Radio. He is the author of  The Escape Artists: True Stories of People Who Turned Their Obsessions Into Professions, published by McGraw Hill.

For nine years, New York Times bestselling author Joshua Piven has been tracking down and interviewing alligator wrestlers, race car drivers, giant octopus hunters, animal trackers, and treasure hunters. What drives these escape artists to make job choices that are extraordinary, dangerous, or just plain wacky? They don't "drop out"; they embrace self-fulfillment and personal freedom as they craft a life on the road less traveled-and show all of us how to pursue our own dreams, if we dare!

By following their journeys, you'll learn how you might be able to become an escape artist yourself-and leave the cubicle behind. You'll see how these intrepid adventurers avoided the trap of a job they hated; navigated the issues of money, security, and safety nets; and knew when to make the crucial leap to a better and more enjoyable career.

About Josh Piven

Source: Josh Piven's web site
I am a writer and the New York Times best-selling author of 16 books (I think; actually I've lost count) including The Escape Artists and The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series. I am an honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania--and living proof that English majors aren't necessarily failures.

I have appeared as a survival expert on numerous TV shows/stations, including TODAY, MONTEL, ABC NEWS, CNN, the BBC, and many, many more. I even had my own show, based on the WORST-CASE series, for a while. (Don't ask. But when Hollywood calls, don't answer.) I primarily write popular non-fiction, including my newest book, THE ESCAPE ARTISTS, an entertaining look at non-traditional careers which was published by The McGraw-Hill Co. in May 2007. In the fall, I will also publish BAD VS. WORSE, a humorous book of comparative essays pairing two bad choices ("Who would you rather have over for a steak dinner, Charles Manson or Jeffrey Dahmer?"; "Who would you rather jilt, Lizzie Borden or Lorena Bobbit?") that will be out in October 2007 (Perigee/Penguin).

Being a full-time author is just about the best job in the world (for me, at least) except for the "having to pay your own health insurance" part and I love "going into work" (my neighborhood Starbucks) every morning. I live in Philadelphia with my wife Christine and daughters Alexandra and Lena. My non-writing interests include fitness, reading, politics, live music, travel, cooking, film and (gasp) television. And yes, Jeremy Piven is related to me.

Resources:

Checkout Austin jobs at itzbig.

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