Noah Hawley has not followed a prescribed path. He was a musician who became a novelist, who became a screenwriter, who became a filmmaker and a showrunner (which itself is five jobs). He doesn’t have degrees from film or business school. What he has is an ability to solve problems in a creative way. Now, in Practical Genius, Hawley presents his paradigm-shifting philosophy of work and life to anyone looking to get and stay ahead. He shows how to be adaptable and persistent within large organizations. He shows how to be a strategic thinker as a solitary artist. He shows how to have boundaries, how to find good partners, and how to know when to be a diplomat and when to go to war. Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker or entrepreneur or climbing the corporate ladder, here is a guide to inventing a fun, emotionally satisfying, and lucrative career.
Noah Hawley is an American filmmaker and author. He is best known for creating, chiefly writing, and often directing the FX series Fargo, Legion, and Alien: Earth. He is also the New York Times best-selling author of Before the Fall and Anthem, among other novels. He lives in Austin, Texas.