Rating: 
Summary: The Title Says It All!
Review: Dr. Mark Albion has written a "life-changing" book. That term, though generally inappropriate, is more than appropriate here. He provides anyone who is not ecstatic with their work (job, career) or their life the wisdom to make the changes they desire and live a life of joy, contribution, and significance. "Dr. Mark" does this through a combination of his own wisdom (and he definitely qualifies, having achieved a bounty of success at a very young age, realizing he was still not living his desired meaningful life, and then actually "doing" what he teaches in the book) and the wisdom of a cast of "life-successes" you will relate to and, some of them, even love.As great as the book is, and as compelling as the individual stories and lessons are, the final chapter is a classic ending. It's actually a surprise twist (I won't ruin it by telling you what it is). Although a couple of hints were given early in the chapter, when it finally hit me, I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter just so that I could re-read it with full knowledge. I believe the story will make you a bit "misty-eyed," and make you think about and re-assess some of the more important relationships in your life. One other nice surprise - this one regarding the general nature of the book - was in what was not included; I was a bit concerned that this book would be just a bit "anti free-enterprise." I'm a big believer that free-enterprise (capitalism) is, by it's very nature, the most charitable economic system there is. Would this book try to disprove that? Not at all. Dr. Mark and his wisdom-filled friends merely point out that if what you are doing stirs your passion, allows you to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and makes you feel good about yourself, then you really can have it all. You find yourself "Making A Life, Making A Living!"
Rating:
Summary: Creative, generous, inspirational
Review: These are the words to describe Dr. Mark and the people he writes about in his book Making a Life, Making a Living. Stories of people, including the author, who have found their passion in life and are living it. Sometimes these folks have left the corporate environment in order to express the essence of who they are and some remain to create socially conscious change within the corporate structure. Others have struck out on their own path outside of corporations and developed their life's passion. Each page in the book is chock full of inspirational quotes. Perfect for a quick pick-me-up when feeling discouraged. Read the book - be inspired to recognize the uniqueness of you and then to live it as your gift to the world - and yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Sap... pap... crap!
Review: Any more saccharin, and this would make a Hollywood movie.
Rating:
Summary: I laughed, I cried, I was very touched
Review: Making A Life, Making A Living came into my life at just the right time. As a big believer in pursuing my business and personal dreams, Dr. Mark's anecdotes and stories touched me in a very personal way. It's works like this that help you realize what's important and what really matters. I'm enjoying the journey every day! Thanks Dr. Mark!
Rating:
Summary: Big dissapointment
Review: I thought this was going to be the perfect book to help encourage me to change careers. After the third chapter I became so annoyed at all of the pro Liberal / Socialist and anti Capitalist comments I could not stand reading it any more. Why did the author have to inject so much politics into an otherwise neutral subject?
Rating:
Summary: Real Life Inspiration
Review: Making a Life Making a Living found it's way into my life during a time of transition. Isn't it amazing how the universe provides us with what we need when we need it. I found myself out of work for the first time since I was 14 and ready to seriously evaluate my 13 year career as a marketing professional. Mark's book provided me with the insight, inspiration and courage to do some serious soul-searching and find my place in the world. But Mark's inspiration and support do not stop with this incredible book. He continues to support you on your journey through his newsletter. It provides a wonderful source of support and sense of community for those who dare to be themselves in the world. The journey can be scary and the road can be long, but you are never alone thanks to Mark Albion and his fellow travelers. Thank you, Mark, for sharing your journey and the journey of hundreds of others who are Making a Life, not just a living in this world.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration, Not Instruction
Review: I have read most of the reviews and they seem to fall into two camps. Positive reviews for inspration, negative reviews for practical advice or "elitism". If you are looking for a book that will give you a program to become financially, emotionally, and spiritually wealthy, this ain't it. (I am suspicious of any author that claims to do that.) If you are looking for positive stories about people who are commiting their professional lives to improving the lives of others, I think you will enjoy this. I have read and reread this book several times over the course of my career change, and it has helped ease the fear that comes with the transition. I have read a number of meaningful and life changing books, but none of them individually "showed me the way". This book's greatest strength is showing what is possible. Not all of the examples will survive the test of time as businesses. That's not the point. The point is that you can live a truly engaged life in pursuit of the dream, even if you don't achieve it. For more practical career advice on making a life with meaning check out Laurence Boldt's Zen and The Art of Making a Living. Buy Making a Life for someone who is unhappy with work but doesn't know there is another way. Buy it for yourself if that is you.
Rating:
Summary: Making a Living by Marketing a Myth
Review: ...The author's introduction to the whole book was a long-winded story about his own coming of age wherein he describes how his mother's bout with cancer prompted him to quit his job as a Harvard professor, give up the self-centered pursuit of "fame, power, and money" and adopt a life of "service." While his mother is evidently a real heroine, Albion himself seems to be getting a lot of mileage out of HER tragedy and triumph. It is the worst kind of narcissism to distort her story into his story. And narcissism is at the heart of this entire book, so deeply rooted in this author's psyche that it distorts everything he says about himself and overshadows the worthy people he profiles. He said he was a professor for 20 years (and not just a professor, but a "wunderkind" at "Harvard") and that he left Harvard in 1988. The truth is that the 20 years includes his years as an undergraduate and graduate student, which means he was a professor for no more than 12 years. Moreover, if he really left this world of prestige behind, then why does he continue to hawk himself as a wunderkind Harvard professor? Obviously, his ego cannot let it go, even after 14 years! He said he gave up "fame, power, and money" for a life of "service" (whatever that means). Yet he brags about being a millionaire entrepreneur before his big "crisis". So did he give up his millions like Gandhi would have done? No. Gee, must be tough to "serve" others for ten years or so when you've got a couple million in the bank. And when the money starts to run out, you just write a book about how great you are and up your consulting fees. Yes, he seems to have come full-circle in that his profile boasts that he "commands $6,000 a day" for his consulting to "Fortune 500" corporations. I've read hundreds of profiles of consultants and authors who earn that much and more as management gurus, yet none has ever bragged about the fees in public. Sounds like he hasn't changed all that much. He claims to have co-founded Students for Responsible Business. But that organization claims to have been founded by hundreds of (you guessed it) students. Not this guy. He was probably just one of those self-proclaimed leaders preaching to the students to "do what I say, not what I do." He says that BusinessWeek proclaimed him the "savior of B-school souls" in recognition of this "service" to the world and his many prior acknowledgments (you remember, Reagan, Theresa, world leaders). In fact, the article in question had a caption under Albion's photo that read: "The Self-Proclaimed Savior of B-School Souls." Now that's a very different meaning, obviously sarcastic. And it's also remarkably telling, as it seems the professional skeptics at BusinessWeek saw through this guy's bull the first time they met him. Then there's the newsletter, which Albion claims is read my "over a million executives in 87 countries". Really? That's an awfully high number. I'm not even convinced there are a million "executives" who read English in this world, let alone those who actually read his newsletter. Then there's the professional reviewer who said the newsletter has "50,000 readers", a number he probably got from Albion. So it's not all "executives" and it's really only 5% of the number Albion uses in his profile. By now, I'm wondering if his book really was a New York Times Bestseller. I searched on the NYT archives for the title and author for any mention in the Books section of the paper and came up with nothing. I also pulled up a dozen or so best-seller lists from the year this book was published and saw no mention of it. It's not conclusive, but my doubts are justified by all the other exagerations. I could go on, but it's really just more of the same depressing evidence of a collosal ego-maniac proclaiming himself the great savior of the soul of business, all the while clinging in a most pathetic way to any indicator of his self-worth, no matter how old, how gauche, or how fabricated it might be. You want some REAL career advice? Tell the TRUTH! If you can pull that off, consistently, over many years, in the face of charlatans like Albion, you'll be the REAL success story.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely Worth The Read
Review: I definitely recommend reading this book. Easy to read with lots of personal examples from the author's life. I found it very inspiring. So very glad I picked it up !
Rating: 
Summary: Needed balance
Review: May be of inspiration for those interested in humanitarian or non-profit work. Although I'm not religious, I became annoyed that the majority of people profiled were from a certain religious/ethnic or economic group.
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