Sure, I’d like to do cool sh*t.

It’s the title. The impish little asterisk accentuated by Crayola-colored block print on a field of black. The irreverence of such a scatological term in a title, of all places. Maybe you knew Miki Agrawal before you picked up Do Cool Sh*t, as the owner of WILD, or maybe, like me, you’d heard of her latest endeavor, Thinx, before you ever heard the name of the “Bohemian Capitalist” (that one’s from the Grey Lady herself, not me). But what drew me to the book was definitely the title.

I mean, who doesn’t want to do cool sh*t? When I began reading, I didn’t know exactly what Agrawal’s cool sh*t credentials were, but the title alone made me feel like she got it. As I read on, I found a fount of vignettes from her life, warts and all, that helped develop her current success. If you’re interested, by all means, check it out, as I did, at the library, but I will share her wisdom here: a fearless attitude and the ability to ask for things will get you far.

Perhaps that is oversimplifying things a bit. But while I found myself occasionally rolling my eyes at her rather singular life experiences, I never felt that I had to recreate those experiences in order to duplicate her success. I think if I were an extrovert, that would get me farther than Agrawal’s degree from Cornell, or her extremely close relationship with her twin sister, or her aborted soccer career. Relationships (in general) and expressing gratitude seem to be Agrawal’s strengths. This book aims to help you find your own, although it’s a little light in that department. This is a narrative, not a textbook.

But yes, Agrawal has absolutely done some cool sh*t. Whether or not her cool sh*t is your cup of tea, if you are floundering, her experiences will hopefully guide you to your own.