Rating: 
Summary: Read this one before you buy others
Review: After a rather hard day at my new job I was ready to chuck it all. The passing days were more and more worrisome. Through journal writing and a lot of self examination I realized that I probably wasn't in the best field. I came across this book and so far it has been great. Chapter 12 (Why You Don't Get What You Want) and Chapter 13 (The Power of Commitment) are worth the price of the book. The best line that illuminated it all for me was in chapter 13 where Lore states "Most of us, for the most part, are committed to comfort, low risk, and equilibrium." We don't want to work at life we want it all to come without upset or problems. When this happens we say we are happy. When it doesn't, we look for solutions or wallow in our dispair. While I haven't finished the book yet, the information contained within has helped changed my attitude and recognize the multitude of "yeahbuts" that plague my thinking. Get this, read this, and learn this book. Combine this with The Path by Laurie Beth Jones and I think that you are well on your way to defining a more menainginful career and life.
Rating: 
Summary: I was at work?
Review: And I was telling myself that there must be something better than this. I was looking for a book that would act a personal coach, help me to identify both the mental and physical obstacles that keep me from finding work that engages more of who I am. I was looking at Amazon and clicking through the career counseling books when I came across "The Pathfinder." The description of the book and the customer comments made it sound like it would provide the interactive approach I was looking for.Now that I've read it I can tell you that I found it useful but not transformational. The author would say that I wasn't ready for the transformation. That may be true but I still think the book could have been better. My biggest complaint is that the exercises consisted of making lists. This can be useful for some things but when its applied to everything, it feels redundant and simplistic. I also found the tone condescending and overly positive. I finished the book feeling like I'm not enough of a go-getter to have the career I want. I think that the right audience for the book is sales and marketing people who love networking and making lists! The sections on figuring out your personality type and networking seemed very superficial and cobbled together from other career advice books. On the plus side, it deals with some of the mental and emotional obstacles that make change difficult. In particular, it identified the the fears that masquerade as "being realistic" as "yeah buts." These are all the negative responses to attempts to do something new. "I could go back to school, Yeah but, it would be too expensive." For me, these are the most powerful stumbling blocks and the book doesn't try to minimize their power or their role as keeping one from committing career suicide or going into massive debt. However, the book does give some useful suggestions for how to cope with them. Ultimately, the book was helpful in making me realize that I'm engage in a lengthy process that can't be shortened by reading one book no matter how good it is. My advise to you and myself is that if you want to change your life, take a big risk. Its not enough to just read about doing it.
Rating:
Summary: Not your ordinary self-help book...
Review: At 58, I found The Pathfinder book to be just what was needed as I prepared for the amazing challenge of transforming my life to reach a goal of combining the benefits of retirement while still generating an income. I had read "What Color is your Parachute?" in the 70's and a multitude of spirituality books recently, but The Pathfinder gave me access to a "portable coach inside a book" I used the book to transform my traditional job into a consultant contract, move from east coast to west coast, and create a career direction that grew out of my "natural talents" instead of my interests. To make that happen I needed a path rather a series of pat answers. The "Path" that Lore propels us along is less linear (but far more helpful if you are turning your life inside out) than the more traditional job seekers' values clarification exercises, or a "How to Get a Job" guide. This book is less about finding a job you like than inventing or reinventing (in the case of mid-career changers) the kind of life you want to have in the area of work or career. Those of us, who are searching for a life path rather than a job, will find the gentle push of commitment actually gets us to where we want to be. I especially liked the practical way the book moved me past my YEAH BUTTS and into action.
Reading The Pathfinder is like having a witty, insightful, life coach who understands human nature and guides your adventures, through humorous stories and analogies. Those of us who have paid for "coaching" know what the coach's job is: to ask the powerful questions, create structures that support the seeker, share the "gold" they have learned from their life experience, and finally trust the person being coached to be responsibility for the results. At the end of the coaching, the life we invent will be our own and be perfect for us because we made it up... The invention is up to the coached. That too is the gift of The Pathfinder! I have given this book as a graduation gift to high school kids and to recently downsized executives. The Pathfinder is perfect for anyone pursing the dream of finding the work they love to do inside the life they want to live.
Rating:
Summary: A solid foundation for making a well informed career move.
Review: Author Nicholas Lore understands very well that changing careers is a normal part of life. He guides the reader with humor and a great deal of good information using a method that is well aligned with the leading edge in the Career Development field. Readers of all ages and backgrounds will relate to the commonsense approach to finding a path to your lifework that is a true reflection of one's own core values, interests, aptitudes and personality. I use the Pathfinder as the main resource for Career Exploration classes. There are a myriad of exercises and hands on assignments that students love. It brings a level of fun to the classroom environment that some of the other Career Development texts fall short in. I think most students benefit from the practical test and explanation of the Myers Briggs personality indicator and how it relates to the career decision making process. It makes for lively discussions and is something that has a definate application outside the career realm as well. I recommend the Pathfinder to every student of life who wants to make well informed career decisions. This is a value packed resource during these relatively lean times.
Rating:
Summary: TURNING WORDS INTO DREAMS
Review: I have never sent in a review before. I bought this book in 1999. I slowly worked my way through it and systematically took back control of my life. Part of that control meant I moved back to my home country England a few years ago. Recently my overseas belongings were finally shipped over including my "personal workbook" and The Pathfinder. To my amazment, I read through my notes and thoughts and realized I was now LIVING everything I wrote down! I am now running my own business doing something I love and it's growing and growing and I am HAPPY! I do wake up excited about my day and not only that, whereas once upon a time the biggest I could dream was where I am now, now obviously I am dreaming bigger! So, I am someone who can write to say that this book has had a PROFOUND effect on my life and changed it fantastically! There is no higher recommendation. If you are serious about having it all - this book will help you get there with love.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely THE BEST
Review: I have read close to 30 books on the topic of life/career change, and "The Pathfinder" is light years ahead of everything I have come across. Nick Lore provides the most comprehensive program to date to help people design a career that's right for them (applicable to those just starting in the job market as well as career-changers). The book provides a series of structured Inquires to help readers find their right livelihood as well as guidance for getting into action on making these plans a reality. Lore serves as a "career coach" who doesn't let his readers cave into their "yeahbuts" on why they think they can't achieve their goals. If you are serious about getting the life you want, "The Pathfinder" is the single best source of guidance to get you there.
Rating:
Summary: The Pathfinder:
Review: I wish I had discovered "The Pathfinder..." by Nicholas Lore before I spent several hundred dollars on career counselling, and probably the same amount on career-related books. Mr. Lore takes the reader through all of the internal and external processes required (identifying values, determining how you are "playing the game of life," how to research industries, etc.) to select a career that will fit like a glove. He presents all of the tests, exercises and activities that a competent, thorough career counselor would provide, in a format that is accessible to people in all stages of life; from young people embarking on their first job hunt to post-retirees looking for a second (or third) career. The narrative is pleasant and entertaining; Lore makes complicated concepts related to psychology and personality easily digestible. Completing everything in the book will take perseverance, but the reader will be richly rewarded in the end. Having purchased countless books in the search for my perfect work, I can tell you that "The Pathfinder..." is the Mercedes of them all. As a school administrator, I have even recommended this book to high school seniors who want tools to help them plan their futures.
Rating:
Summary: Not your ordinary self-help book...
Review: I wish I had discovered "The Pathfinder..." by Nicholas Lore before I spent several hundred dollars on career counselling, and probably the same amount on career-related books. Mr. Lore takes the reader through all of the internal and external processes required (identifying values, determining how you are "playing the game of life," how to research industries, etc.) to select a career that will fit like a glove. He presents all of the tests, exercises and activities that a competent, thorough career counselor would provide, in a format that is accessible to people in all stages of life; from young people embarking on their first job hunt to post-retirees looking for a second (or third) career. The narrative is pleasant and entertaining; Lore makes complicated concepts related to psychology and personality easily digestible. Completing everything in the book will take perseverance, but the reader will be richly rewarded in the end. Having purchased countless books in the search for my perfect work, I can tell you that "The Pathfinder..." is the Mercedes of them all. As a school administrator, I have even recommended this book to high school seniors who want tools to help them plan their futures.
Rating:
Summary: Read the book and MAKE LIFE HAPPEN.
Review: I worked with Nick to find my perfect career before the book was published, and now it's like having him in my living room whenever I want. His Career Choice Program has been developed over years of committed work and in the book he distills much of this hard-fought wisdom. His secret weapon? Nothing less than forcing you to work hard to ask and answer the right questions that will lead you to a clearer understanding of yourself and the right career for you. More than just finding a career though, Nick helps you find a better way to look at your life's work than you had before. His probing questions and clear focus on the questions of "meaning, mission and purpose" can give you an entirely new perspective on the important things in your life. I would rank Nick Lore head and shoulders above the rest of the career guidance field.
Rating:
Summary: I'M A TOUGH CRITIC... REALLY TOUGH CRITIC
Review: I've read a lot of personal development books & used a lot of personal development tools. More than most people-- make that MUCH more than most people. I guess I figure that the way to continually become a smarter person is to find a REALLY smart person & listen to what they have to say. I don't typically rave about books, I've never posted a review on Amazon.com before but with this one I just HAD to. Nicholas Lore is brilliant. His book spoke right to me. It could not have been a better training session if he had been sitting with me in my living room. His advice is right on, so painful at times it hurts...so true to life at times that you'll laugh out loud. An excellent resource to help you take a good hard look at your life, your goals and your ability to have a career that leads to a lifetime of satisfaction & success. He helps you discover all of the right questions to be asking yourself... and he does it in a FUN way. I read it cover-to-cover in one weekend. And I did most of the exercises twice. This book is not over anyone's head. Nor is it written below anyone's comprehension level. It's straight forward, from the hip, talk about how to want it, plan it and get it. I'd recommend it for anyone who is committed to investing the time & effort to help yourself grow. At $14 this book is a steal (oops, I hope Nicholas isn't reading this). Invest in yourself!
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