This is an incredible and heartwarming memoir that follows Alysia Silberg's extraordinary journey from a challenging past in South Africa to becoming a tech guru in Silicon Valley. Her determination and love for AI will truly inspire you to believe in your own superpowers and create a positive impact on the world. Alysia's down-to-earth storytelling makes this book interesting for dreamers and go-getters alike.

Unemployable

What I liked:

She can make anything into a lesson. All of the snippets of her childhood and choices were analyzed and learned from, which was encouraging because it showed how there is greatness in everything. Our experiences can significantly shape us, and all of that.

What I didn’t like:

It was harder to connect with her initially. You know when you ask someone about themselves and they say, “well, it was a cold day in… when I was born…” Well, it did drag initially in a somewhat similar fashion.

That isn’t to say there aren’t gems in the book. There are if you stick with it.

Overall, about 3.6, which, of course, I’ll round up to an official 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!

As illuminating as it is inspiring. Powerful personal prose from a young woman who overcame the obstacles of poverty in apartheid South Africa to building her own personal brand. From the age of six she was learning what it meant to build a business. She proves that with tenacity, determination and a thirst for learning, the only limits are those of the mind. I was particularly interested in her insights relating to artificial intelligence and the importance of being responsible in its implementation. She doesn’t just champion technology at all costs. Musk and Bezos could learn a lot from her. I’d also really recommend listening to her episode on Slo Mo: A Podcast with Mo Gawdat. I wish her continued success and eagerly await her next step.

This one of the books that can be called thought provoking. It makes you think of your life and your future. The book tells the story of life of the author and brings across the ideas about how you can make a difference in your and other people's lives. When you help others to make a difference, you automatically make a difference too. At the very end of the book there is a great summary of resources that can help to shape own thoughts, reflect on own life and actions and get inspired on the purpose to move forward in own life.

The raw desire to make a life better than one she was born into, underpins Alysia Silberg’s story. Her determination and grit will have you believing that you too can elevate your life, against all odds.

"That's the trouble with other people’s dreams. They're other people's dreams. I had different plans in mind. I wanted to be maestra of my own destiny."

Plot Summary
Alysia Silberg begins her story as a young child living in the crime-riddled, Johannesburg, South Africa. Early on, she is deemed to have a natural talent for playing the cello, disinterested, she harboured a desire to be in business. Amidst turbulent surroundings, Alysia got a taste for seizing business opportunities, stoking her entrepreneurial spirit. A stint in Canada gave her a glimpse of what life could be like, safe from the crime and bureaucracy of her own country. Her mother’s inexplicable pull towards darkness had the family returning to Johannesburg. Amidst the darkness, she finds love, support, and an eventual business and life partner. Multiple projects later, Alysia transitions from academia to entrepreneurship setting and achieving ambitious goals that transcend the limitations of her past.
Alysia belief is that everyone has a superpower; a skill, a gift that each of us can offer the world. Hers is uncovering business ideas and helping shape entrepreneurs towards success. This is the story of how she harnessed her superpower and a call for you to find yours.

Praise & Critique
Part-memoir, part-manifesto, Unemployable is an easy read.
The first half of the book introduced us to her family members, a vivid depiction of their personalities and characteristics, in a way that allows us to understand her perspective as a child and eventually as an adult. She seamlessly juxtaposed her father’s glitzy Hollywood life to crime-riddle Johannesburg.
I was captivated from the start. In the first sitting, I read to the point until I realised I was already halfway through the book!

From a storytelling standpoint, certain parts of the flow were disjointed. The bathroom scene with her mother at a business event in Johannesburg would have been better told after their return from Canada, for maximum impact. A devastating moment, beautifully conveyed by the author. I felt the importance of the moment was immediately lost with the return to normalcy following in the next chapter.

Three-thirds in, somehow, it turned into a manifesto of-sorts? The narrative style that charmed at the start, somehow disappeared and the chapters evolved into a non-fiction motivational-instructional type of narrative. Perhaps intentional. I found it unnecessary.

Nevertheless, Alysia’s first book is another to be included in her long list of achievements banking up to one remarkable life.

How It Enriched My Life
I'm naturally curious about the paths people take towards a life well-lived, whether from the outset or as an eventuality. I love reading to understand the decision-making process and mindsets that drive people through adversity. Alysia does not disappoint on this front. Her detailed accounts of each hurdle faced and her thought-process, allowed me to place myself in her shoes. A reminder that no matter how successful a person may seem today, there was likely an exhaustive winding road to get them there.

Who Should Read It
If you enjoy stories where the protagonists succeeds against all odds, stories with complex familial relationships, or perhaps you have an interest in the start-up tech world and entrepreneurship, or those in need of inspiration about ideas and execution, this is a wonderful book to guide you along.

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