It’s true, the crisis is worldwide, who can deny it? It afflicts every nation, all the sectors: no one is unharmed. But in the second oldest nation in Europe – Italy – youngsters have it worse than elsewhere. Unemployment continues to increase, temporary employment rules and economic stability is at this point only a chimera. There’s not much to be happy about. Not to speak of favouritism, bureaucracy, and the «mandarins» who refuse leave their arm-chair thrones: these are strictly Italian customs. And so, until the age of 30 or more, young men and women stay home with mom and dad in this land of «big babies» as Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa calls them. So what can be done? Resign oneself? Perhaps not. And these eleven stories are the proof: youngsters that built themselves a profession (in some cases inventing new ones) betting only on their own talent and energy. We’ll meet Gianluca, one of the greatest jazzmen in the world who began his career playing at funerals. And Sara, who had the simple but brilliant intuition to manage VIP’s profiles on the social networks. And what about Riccardo, who right out of high school managed to open a chain of carwashes. Or Ruggiero, now an esteemed cardiologist who, when he was only twenty-five, discovered a fundamental protein for the prevention of heart attacks? Apparently incredible stories, but all of them absolutely true: from Grom’s ice-cream chains to Massimo’s informatics company, ContactLab, from the small watches in silicone with the Too Late brand to the physicist/company consultant Giampiero, going from the experience of Selene, the founder of the non-profit organization Youth Action for Change, to Fred and Laura with so many awards. A director the former and a chef the latter. Very different experiences that all have in common passion, ideas and iron wills. Stories of young men and women who managed to make their dreams come true, becoming exactly what they wanted. In spite of everything.