Book review: The Purpose Code by Jordan Grumet

I first heard of Jordan Grumet while listening to a podcast—I'm pretty sure it was the White Coat Investor. He was discussing his first book, Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor’s Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life. I haven’t had a chance to read that one yet (it’s on my list), but I love the premise: learning what really matters in life from those who are at the very end of theirs. That kind of perspective hits hard. We’ll all get there eventually—some of us without warning, and others with time to reflect on what our lives have meant.

My next encounter with Jordan was more personal. I attended the White Coat Investor conference in March of this year, where he was one of the featured speakers. He spoke about his latest book, The Purpose Code, which was included in our conference swag. I dove into it soon after—and once I started, I didn’t want to put it down.

Jordan is a gifted storyteller. In The Purpose Code, he weaves together personal narratives—from childhood trauma to adult reinvention—that show how deeply our early experiences shape who we become. He opens up about feeling like a fish out of water as a practicing physician, despite being good at it, and how he ultimately found meaning and fulfillment as a writer, blogger, and podcaster after discovering his true purpose.

The book offers a framework for doing the same in our own lives. Jordan introduces the concept of two kinds of purpose:

• Big “P” Purpose — the grand, lofty kind: curing cancer, ending world hunger, becoming a world-famous artist or athlete. While these ambitions can be inspiring, they can also become sources of anxiety, depression, and burnout—because most of us won’t ever “achieve” them.

• Little “p” purpose — the personal kind. The interests and passions that bring us joy, that we’re curious about, and that we’d pursue even if no one paid us to. When we tap into these, we can begin what Jordan calls the climb—the process of building a life around our unique interests. Whether or not it becomes a career is beside the point. What matters is that we’re doing work that feels meaningful and aligned.

  
  

In the end, Jordan challenges the idea that our jobs—or even our passions—are the ultimate key to happiness. As someone who reached early financial independence, he spent years exploring the intersection of money, purpose, and fulfillment. He listened to hospice patients, spoke with countless people chasing different versions of success, and dug deep into the science of happiness.

The conclusion? It’s not about money, status, or even purpose. It’s about relationships.

Deep, meaningful relationships are what truly sustain us. Purpose can help us find our people—our tribe—but it’s the cultivating of those relationships that makes life rich and rewarding. That’s the real takeaway of The Purpose Code, and it’s one I think all of us need to be reminded of from time to time.

This is a book worth reading. I’m glad I did—and I think you will be too.

The Purpose Code by Jordan Grumet is available on Amazon

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Thanks for reading and let me know in the comments what you think if you’ve read The Purpose Code or plan to!