Rating: 
Summary: A Fresh Perspective on Career Building
Review: Like other career books, this one was most valuable to me in the questions it posed (much like "What Color Is Your Parachute?"), and is not something I read cover to cover. It is especially effective in assessing what you "like to do" versus "what type of job you do." You need to be disciplined to really make this book work--disciplined enough to set aside time each week to consider career options and conduct a strategic job search. Overall, an excellent job resource that I recommend to friends who are considering a career change.
Rating: 
Summary: long-winded
Review: Like some of the other reviewers, I didn't make it through the first part of the book -- too much long-winded pseudo-mystical rambling. If it's never occurred to you that you should try to find work that you find fulfilling, this book might spark some reflection and insight. If it has, you're better off with Boldt's other book, How to Find the Work You Love, or the old stand-by, What Color Is Your Parachute?
Rating: 
Summary: Too much, but dig for the gems
Review: Pros -- great information, excellent non-traditionalperspective, provides lots of food for thought, discusses values andpurpose in an in-depth fashion which puts other career books to shame. Cons -- WAY TOO LONG. There is a lot of unnecessary information in here which my be interesting, but is ultimately gratuitous, especially given that the reader is most likely already swirling with questions and conflicts regarding their career issues. I suggest this book be used as a reference companion to other more focused and action-oriented career books -- it has good things to say, but you wouldn't want to have to slog through the whole thing cover to cover. END
Rating: 
Summary: The wisdom in these pages is vast
Review: Shoved into square peg, deadened, working for money. --Or Doing work that is not work, Real fun. --There IS No finer, better book on this subject. Author truly Brilliant. He makes it possible to choose/Have Life meant to have. After (filling in questions) will know more about you, Right place, than imaginable. Anyone at fork in the road/'over-achiever'/confused/
complacent/every 15 yr-old. --Or: Life as just another cog...
at the whim of 'hot field,' down-sizing, politics.... Bon Apetit.
Rating:
Summary: To Have Life Well-lived: Read
Review: Shoved into square peg, deadened, working for money. --Or Doing work that is not work, Real fun. --There IS No finer, better book on this subject. Author truly Brilliant. He makes it possible to choose/Have Life meant to have. After (filling in questions) will know more about you, Right place, than imaginable. Anyone at fork in the road/'over-achiever'/confused/
complacent/every 15 yr-old. --Or: Life as just another cog...
at the whim of 'hot field,' down-sizing, politics.... Bon Apetit.
Rating:
Summary: some good advice, but way too much fluff
Review: Since my main criticism is the wordiness of the author, I'll get straight to the point: This book would rate much higher if it were one-third to one-half of its 600-plus pages.
It is filled with good concepts, good advice, useful worksheets, and wonderful nuggets of wisdom. Unfortunately it is also filled with a lot of flowery, fluffy, unnecessary, and redundant language; distracting quotations inline with the main text; barely relevant full-page sidebars filled with quotations; and too much Zen-themed artwork in the margins.
In "Act II" and "Act III" (of four "Acts"), the page layout inexplicably changes from a one-column layout with wide margins to a two-column, magazine-style layout with narrow margins. A similar change is made between Appendices A and B. Without this layout change, the length of the book would probably balloon out another one or two hundred pages.
The book has a good bibliography, an acceptable index, and is relatively well-organized. I would recommend it to someone who is good at skimming. If you have read books by Hyrum Smith, Stephen Covey, or similar authors, you will recognize many of the themes. (In this case you may be able to go very quickly through the book and use the worksheets to help solidify your thinking.)
Rating:
Summary: An Incredible "Life" Tool
Review: There are self-help books...and then there is the "Zen" book. As a writer, teacher and consultant, I am always looking for good information to pass onto the people I know and care for. This is such a book. The writing is eloquent, the content is direct, easy to read and comprehend, and it all gets straight to the point. I use this book on a regular basis for my own personal assistance, and have recommended it to many others over the past year or so. In times of such great difficulty today, it is an inspiration that comforts me when I begin to question my own personal purpose in life. I truly cannot say enough about the author and the book. 5 Stars. Thanks Laurence. D.L. Chatsworth CA.
Rating:
Summary: The wisdom in these pages is vast
Review: This book certainly guides the reader effectively through the self-exploration necessary to find a new career direction. But beyond this, is does far, far more. The author is deeply insightful in a whole spectrum of matters that would improve anyone upon the reading. The book discusses issues at the deep roots of the problems that Americans find themselves facing today, the problems that they may not have even realized were there, but upon reading this book say: "Ah. Yes, that's it, exactly." This book answers questions you didn't realize you were asking. To be fair, it is possible that some may not understand everything in the book upon first reading -- many of the ideas are far more sophisticated than what we're used to hearing, and one may need to become more aware before realizing the wisdom in these pages. Yet a 15-year old would vastly benefit from the reading, if only to place the idea in her mind that there are possibilities in her life beyond the ones she's most-likely been told about. Even if you already have chosen a career, or think you're too young to begin thinking about one, you should read this book. You will not fail to benefit from the reading. Many people do not have this kind of understanding within their lifetimes.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational and thought-provoking book on careers
Review: This book contains pithy aphorisms, draws from various cultures and religions to make though-provoking observations about designing careers. Excellent information!
Rating: 
Summary: 99% Zen - 1% career planning
Review: This book is very long winded. I started from the first page a preface that lasted some 50 pages. I then had to waded through 37 more pages of social history and philosopy to get to Chapter 1. I thought the theme of the book is to plan your career and life with methods from Zen. Instead, I get all these wordy pages that says nothing. A great deal of the over 100 pages I got through could have been sumed up in 15 pages. It remainded me of a teacher in an electronic class I took who would always stray off the subject matter and talk for hours about old sea stories or the chemical compounds in food instead of the matter at hand. If the author's job is to help me plan my life; he's failed miseribly. I've NEVER came across a book that had a Preface that's 52 pages long. I read prefaces to maximize the use of the book. Yes, the author gave 5 ways to use the book but to start off with this universal study of man's place in the cosmos isn't my ideal of how to get my career planned. My advise to him is take this book and rewrite it. Shave off 50 - 60% of it and try again. If there's any useful tid bits in the book why should I waded through 700 pages to find those few pages of interst. I'm planning a career not taking a Social Studies class. I'm disappointed.
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