THE THIRD DOOR

This is the intrepid, larger-than-life journey of an 18-year-old college freshman and the son of Iranian refugees, who defies his parent's expectations, and sets out from his dorm room to track down the most successful people in their fields--Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Lady Gaga, and a score of others--to find out how these icons broke through and launched their careers.

THE THIRD DOOR takes readers on a non-stop adventure ride, from Bill Gates's Seattle office to a nightclub with Lady Gaga, from a campus event with Steven Spielberg to a massive arena with Warren Buffett, as Alex Banayan pursues his "mission"--passing on the secrets to career success to a younger generation. Banayan spent five years traveling the world, decoding the insights of some of the world's most remarkable people. Through interviews with Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Steve Wozniak, Maya Angelou, Larry King, Jessica Alba, Pitbull, and a host of others, Banayan discovers the key they have in common: they all took the Third Door, the unconventional path. Banayan reveals the specific strategies and tools he learned that will have others taking your call, listening to your pitch, and inviting you in. But at heart, THE THIRD DOOR is as much about Alex Banayan's own coming-of-age journey as he gathers the breadcrumbs and insights that he hopes will instruct and inspire his generation to achieve greatness themselves.

A perfect read for Gen Y graduates and Millennials and those just beginning their careers and in search of inspiration.

The day before his freshman year final exams, ALEX BANAYAN hacked a television game show, won a sailboat, sold it, and used the prize money to fund his quest to track down and learn from the world's most successful people. Since then, Banayan has been named to Forbes' "30 Under 30" list and Business Insider's "Most Powerful People Under 30." He has contributed to Fast Company, The Washington Post, Entrepreneur, and Tech Crunch, and has been featured in major media including Businessweek, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg TV, Fox News, and CBS News. A renowned keynote speaker, Banayan has presented the Third Door framework to business conferences and corporate leadership teams around the world, garnering standing ovations from Apple, Nike, IBM, Dell, Harvard, and countless others.