LifeWork Resource Center
The LifeWork Resource Center is a library of hundreds of books (most of which are lending copies for Centerpoint Members), video- and audiotapes, magazines, clippings files and other resource materials. All of our Career Forums have been videotaped over the years and are available for watching in the Center or for borrowing. There is also a wireless network and two computers that are dedicated for researching on the internet. Many people find the LifeWork Resource Center a quiet and relaxing place to focus, read, and write -- a place where they can build structure into their transitions. (Go to Membership)
Bibliographies
Here is a list of some of our favorite books. Visit Centerpoint's Lifework Resource Center Library for these and other resources!
Go to books on:
The Adult Years, Frederic M. Hudson. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 1991.
An in-depth look at the cycle of change in adult development. Strong on mid-life issues and leadership. This book isn't easy reading but it is very worthwhile.
Alternative Careers for Lawyers, Hillary Mantis. New York, NY: Princeton Review Publ., 1997.
Lots of stories and strategies for reevaluating a law career. (Centerpoint is listed as a resource!)
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, Julia Cameron. New York, NY: G.P.Putnam's Sons, 1992.
A self-empowering, 12-week workbook/course on discovering and recovering your creative self and unblocking anything that feels stuck. Not just for artists! (We have a group workshop focused around this book!)
Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life, Thomas Moore. NY: Harper Perennial, 1992.
An excellent book for gaining a new perspective on life and seeing our struggles as an essential part of our growth.
A Creative Companion: How to Free Your Creative Spirit, SARK. Berkeley, CA:Celestial Arts, 1991.
A fun, energizing book that can be picked up at any time and opened to any page for some gems of playfulness and for remembering how important the simple things in life are.
Living With Vision, Linda Marks. Indianapolis, IN: Knowledge System, Inc.,1989.
An elegant statement of support and encouragement for living a life of passion and service.
Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, William Bridges. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1991.
Directed at managers and employees in corporations, this companion book to Bridges' Transitions addresses how change effects organizations and those who are struggling to deal with those changes.
The Paradox of Success: When Winning at Work Means Losing at Life, John R.O'Neil. NY, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1993.
An excellent book on renewal for those who feel they have lost something essential on their way to career success. Includes an especially helpful section on using retreats for renewal and growth.
Passages, Gail Sheehy. New York, NY: E.P. Dutton, 1976.
A classic, this was one of the first books to discuss the stages the we progress through as adults. Still worth picking up!
The Seasons of a Man's Life, Daniel Levinson. New York, NY: Knopf, 1979.
Focuses on the transitions men face in their growth as adults. The first book to talk about the alternating times of structure and stability with times of chaos and fundamental change.
Take This Job and Love It, Dennis T. Jaffe and Cynthia D. Scott. New York, NY: Fireside Books,1988.
Focuses on taking responsibility for renewing your present job by clarifying your vision and ways to better align your work with that vision.
Transitions, William Bridges. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1980.
A quick-reading, basic book on understanding and dealing with change in our lives. Bridges talks about the three stages of a transition: the ending, the neutral zone, and the beginning. Helpful for people who need an introduction to the concept of how important it is to recognize and deal with the process of change. (See also: Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by this author.)
Where Two Worlds Touch: Spiritual Rites of Passage, Gloria D. Karpinski.New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1990.
Change and renewal from a broad spiritual perspective.
At a Journal Workshop: Access the Power of Your Unconscious & Evoke Creative Ability, Ira Progoff. LA, CA: JP Tarcher, 1992.
Excellent, perhaps the best know primer on the journal process.
The Book of the Vision Quest, Steven Foster. New York, NY: Prentiss Hall,1988.
Great primer for how to do your own vision quest. Also a good metaphor and guide for the whole transition process.
The Castle of the Pearl, Christopher Biffle. New York, NY: Harper & Row Publishers, 1983.
This book is a kind of guided journey/story that leads the reader through a self exploration process using writing at each point. If structure is helpful for you, you might find this book to be an enjoyable process.
The Creative Journal: the Art of Finding Yourself, Lucia Capacchione.Athens, OH: Swallow Press,1987.
Perhaps the best general book on combining writing and drawing as a process for self awareness and growth. Many specific exercises to experiment with. Highly recommended!
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Susan Jeffers. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1987.
When you need to get yourself unstuck and moving quickly, this is a good motivational book.
Finding a Job You Can Love, Ralph Mattson and Arthur Miller. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982.
From a Christian perspective, this book lends much support to those who want to acknowledge the role that their faith plays in their life and work decisions.
Finding Your Life Mission (and Companion Workbook), Naomi Stephan, Ph.D.Salem, MA: Stillpoint, 1989.
Lots of exercises and encouragement for identifying your talents and passions. Good examples.
Healing Life's Hurts, Dennis Linn, S.J. and Matthew Linn, S.J. New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1978.
A Christian perspective using Kubler-Ross's five stages of death and dying as a way to understand how we can heal the hurts in our lives.
Healing the Shame that Binds You, John Bradshaw. Deerfield Beach, FL:Health Communications, Inc., 1988.
Other good books by John Bradshaw: Bradshaw On: The Family; On Homecoming.
Bradshaw has combined many different theorists' work on family dynamics and how they effect us. Readable, informative, Bradshaw talks a lot about dysfunctional environments and ways that we can heal our past in order to live more fully and intentionally.
How to Find the Work You Love, Laurence G. Boldt. New York, NY: The Penguin Group, 1996.
Another great book by the author of Zen and the Art of Making a Living, this, in contrast, little book is helpful for those in the passion search process who enjoy working with open ended questions.
I Could Do Anything... If I Only Knew What it Was, Barbara Sher. Delacorte Press, 1994.
Another great book by the author of Wishcraft, this focuses on how to understand and deal with the obstacles to getting clear about what you want.
If You Want to Write, Brenda Ueland. St. Paul, MN; Greywolf Press, 1983.
The well-loved primer on writing with heart. Written for writers, it is an inspiring book on the creative in each of us and how to bring our unique voice into our writing.
In Transition: From the Harvard Business School Club of New York Personal Seminar in Career Management, Mary Lindley Burton & Richard A. Wedemeyer. New York, NY: Harper Business, 1991.
A good overview of changes occurring in the corporate world and how they impact your career. A practical guide for focusing and conducting an active, effective job search.
The Inventurers: Excursions in Life and Career Renewal, Janet Hagberg &Richard Leider. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co, 1988.
A holistic process called "inventuring": a journey into self discovery to articulate your inner values and motivations. It helps you to map out an individual plan for your life and work.
Journaling for Joy: Writing Your Way to Personal Growth and Freedom, Jayne Chapman.
A nice source book with excellent exercises.
Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest, Christina Baldwin. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1991.
An excellent book on the use of a journal in one's spiritual life. Integrating journal writing with intuition, dreams,meditation and other spiritual elements, Baldwin gives practical examples and useful techniques for deepening your exploration of love, fear, trust, acceptance and many other inner issues.
The New Diary, Tristine Rainer. Los Angeles, CA: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc.,1978.
The most comprehensive book on journaling available. Covers the many approaches and options to this process.
Notes to Myself, Hugh Prather. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1976.
An exploration in honesty and awareness of feelings. If you'restarting a journal or want to listen more closely to your feelings and sense of self, you'll find this an inspiration and model.
One to One: Self-Understanding Through Journal Writing, Christina Baldwin.New York, NY: M. Evans & Company, Inc., 1977.
One of the original books on using journaling as more than a "record of the day." A clear overview of the process, tools, elements and rewards of the journal process. Recently updated.
Pain and Possibility: Writing Your Way through Personal Crisis, Gabrielle Rico. Los Angeles, CA: Jeremy T. Tarcher, 1992.
An excellent guidebook with both the theory and practical exercises to try.Special focus on the clustering technique.
Shame: The Power of Caring, Gershen Kaufman. Cambridge, MA: Schenkman Books.
A clear, direct, very humanistic and loving book about shame, an emotion which has impacted all of us at some point in our lives.
Solitude: The Return to Self, Anthony Storr. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1988.
More conceptual and academic than practical, nevertheless a good inquiry into the importance of positive solitude.
Recovery of Your Inner Child, Lucia Capacchione. New York, NY; Simon &Schuster, 1991.
Excellent! Using many of the techniques from the creative journal,especially writing and drawing with the non-dominant hand, this book uses writing as a means to heal and nurture core inner child issues.
The Three Boxes of Life and How To Get Out of Them, Richard N. Bolles. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1978.
Society is structured like this: we go to school, then work, then retire and have fun. This book questions these three boxes and talks about ways to integrate our education, work, and leisure.
The Well Being Journal, Lucia Capacchione. N. Hollywood, CA: Newcastle Publishing Co., Inc., 1989.
An extension of the journaling approach from "The Creative Journal." Focus on journaling as therapeutic for people exploring the connection between inner issues and health problems.
What Color Is Your Parachute?, Richard N. Bolles. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1998.
Updated each year and now it's got a great section on today's job market and how to deal with it. It really does get more helpful with each publication!
Where Do I Go From Here With My Life?, John C. Crystal and Richard N. Bolles. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1974.
Another great classic, this book works well for people who are introspective and like to write.
Work of Her Own: A Woman's Guide to Success Off the Career Track, Susan Witting Albert, Ph.D. LA, CA: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1992.
This book shares the stories and the processes that allowed several high-powered women to choose successful lives off the career track. A great book if you're looking to make some radical changes in the way you make your living in the world.
Work With Passion: How to Do What You Love for a Living, Nancy Anderson. New York, NY: Carroll & Gaff Publishers, 1984.
Focuses on the importance of having work involve our natural talents and passions. How to gather clues for what your passion is. Lots of good examples from her work with clients.
Writing as a Tool for Self Discovery, Heather Hughes-Calero. Carmel, CA: Coastline Publishing Company, 1988.
Most appropriate for writers, this is an excellent book that weaves in a spiritual element.
Writing for Your Life: A Guide and Companion to the Inner Worlds, Deena Metzger. San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins Publ, 1992.
One of the best books we've come across for the use of writing in self exploration. A balance between a discussion of the process and many valuable exercises to apply the ideas.
Zen and the Art of Making a Living, Lawrence G. Boldt. New York, NY:Arkana, 1993.
This is gives a little bit different perspective on work and how to make it fit you. It's chock full of exercises to help with the self-assessment piece. (Don't let the length overwhelm you!) See also: How to Find the Work You Love by this author.
Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You, Ray Bradbury. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990.
This is most appropriate for those attracted to writing as a craft in addition to a means of self discovery. A collection of articles that explore and celebrate the creative process.
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself, Melody Beattie. SF, CA: Harper/Hazeldon, 1987.
A good, clear explanation of codependency and what to do about it.
The Couple's Journey: Intimacy as a Path to Wholeness, Susan M.Campbell. San Luis Obispo, CA: Impact Publishers, 1987.
One of the best books out on how relationships develop. The stages, challenges and tasks of building a healthy interdependent relationship are covered.
The Dance of Anger, Harriet Goldhor Lerner, Ph.D. New York, NY: Harper &Row, 1985.
From a woman's perspective, but this book has helped many men as well. It explains how our anger maintains the status quo but also how it is a constructive force in reshaping our lives.
The Dance of Intimacy, Harriet Goldhor Lerner, Ph.D. New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1989.
This book outlines the steps to take so that good relationships can be strengthened and difficult ones can be healed. It also gives concrete methods to understand the impact that our past family history has had on us.
Getting the Love You Want: A Guide For Couples, Harville Hendrix, Ph.D. New York, NY: Harper & Row Publishers, 1988.
A terrifically practical manual on how to transform your relationship into a lasting source of love and companionship. There are some great exercises in the back of the book.
The Different Drum, M. Scott Peck. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1988.
Explores the need for and development of community.
Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow: Discovering Your Right Livelihood, Marsha Sinetar. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1987.
Stresses the importance of enjoying your work and seeing it as an extension of your own worth and enthusiasms. Gives a lot of interesting stories of people in their "right livelihood."
Downshifting: Reinventing Success on a Slower Track, Amy Saltzman.Harper Collins Publ., 1991.
Contains stories of many professionals and the ways they have decided to redefine their lives and careers. Lacks a little by not focusing on the details of what they went through while making these major changes but is good for ideas on what others have done to get themselves out of the rat race and into a different definition of success.
The Empowered Manager, Peter Block. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 1987.
Helpful for professionals, managers and executives wishing to shape the future of their organization for greater career and personal satisfaction.
How To Gain an Extra Hour Every Day: More Than 500 Time-Saving Tips, Ray Josephs. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 1992.
Time-saving hints to help you save an extra hour each day. A real "how-to" manual that works for those trying to be more organized and learn effective ways to delegate.
If You Don't Know Where You're Going, You'll Probably End Up Somewhere Else, David P. Campbell. Argus Communications, 1974.
Underscores the importance of planning your career, and the futility of simply waiting for things to happen. Good for those who aren't convinced that they have control over their lives.
Of Cradles and Careers: A Guide to Reshaping Your Job to Include a Baby in Your Life, Kaye Lowman. NY: New American Library, 198?.
Comprehensive exploration of options for finding a personal balance of work and parenting.
Running From the Law: Why Good Lawyers are Getting Out of the Legal Profession, Deborah Arron. Seattle, WA: Niche Press, 1989.
A helpful and supportive book for those lawyers who are disillusioned with the profession and wish to find alternative careers. Gives good stories of others' dissatisfactions and the directions they took after leaving the law.
The Time Trap, R. Alex Mackenzie. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 1975.
Excellent book on the basics of time management. Not how to squeeze more into your time but how to get more out of what you want from the time you have.
Also see books on Interviewing Skills and Resume / Letter Writing
The Complete Guide to Public Employment: Opportunities and Strategies with Federal, State and Local Governments, Trade and Professional Associations, Contracting and Consulting Firms, Non-Profit Organizations, Political Support Groups and International Institutions, Ronald L. & Caryl R. Krannich. Manassas, VA: Impact Publications, 1986.
What more can we say? If you think there are no government jobs available, read this book!
The Complete Job-Search Handbook: All the Skills You Need to Get Any Job & Have a Good Time Doing It, Howard E. Figler. New York, NY: Henry Holt &Co., Inc., 1988.
Identifies 20 skills the job hunter needs to find what s/he is looking for.
The Consultant's Calling: Bringing Who You Are To What You Do,Geoffrey M. Bellman. SF, CA: Jossey-Bass Publ, 1990.
Not a technical, how to book but very helpful in answering the question: is being a consultant for you? A lot of good information about balancing your work and life and remembering what is essential to your happiness.
Go Hire Yourself an Employer, Richard K. Irish. New York, NY: Anchor Press, Doubleday, 1987.
A basic manual on the "how" of the job search.
Growing a Business, Paul Hawken. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1987.
The best book we know for building a business on a foundation of your values and true, positive service. If you want to start your own business, or think you might, this is a must.
Guerilla Tactics in the New Job Market, Tom Jackson. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1991.
A straightforward job search manual with lots of creative ideas.
How To Find a Good Job in Seattle, Linda Carlson. Seattle, WA: Barrett Street Productions, 1990.
Probably the most complete book of lists of employers in the Seattle area.
How To Get a Job in Seattle/Portland, Thomas M. Camden & Sara Steinberg. Chicago, IL: Surrey Books, 1990.
Good to use as a supplement to the book listed above.
Jobs for Lawyers: Effective Techniques for Getting Hired in Today's Legal Marketplace, Hillary Mantis and Kathleen Brady. Manassas Park, VA: Impact Publications, 1996.
A great, practical manual to conduct a successful job search in the legal profession. Actually, it has some great tips even if you're not a lawyer!
Lawyers in Transition: Planning a Life in the Law, Mark Byers, Don Samuelson & Gordon Williamson. Natick, MA: The Barkley Company, Inc., 1988.
A good book for lawyers who want to keep practicing law but want to better articulate their focus. Contains a very extensive list of practice areas and asks some good questions about the types of clients you want to service.
Put Your Degree To Work: The New Professional's Guide to Career Planning and Job Hunting, Marcia R. Fox. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1988.
For individuals with little or no work experience, this book gives a good overview of career management and job search techniques.
What Can You Do with a Law Degree, A Lawyer's Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law, Deborah Arron. Seattle, WA: Niche Press, 1994.
A good workbook specifically focused for attorneys. It has sections on change, the roots of dissatisfaction in the legal profession, self-assessment and job search. Also recommends other books and resources throughout.
Who's Hiring Who?, Richard Lathrop. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press,1980.
A good book for those who know what job they want and need some technical hints on how to find it. There's a big section on resume preparation.
Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want, Barbara Sher. Ballantine Books, 1983.
A classic...and a creative way to get unstuck in your goal setting process. Instructs on terrific formats for brainstorming/getting support while you are going through changes in your life. (See also: I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was by this same author).
Knock 'Em Dead with Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions, Martin John Yate. Holbrook, MA: Bob Adams, Inc., 1987.
Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed, H. Anthony Medley.Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1993.
This is an especially good book on interviewing skills.
The Damn Good Resume Guide, Yana Parker. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press,1986.
Resume Power: Selling Yourself on Paper, Tom Washington. Bellevue, WA: Mt.Vernon Press, 1988.
The Resume Solution: How To Write (and Use) A Resume That Gets Results, David Swanson. Indianapolis, IN: JIST Works, Inc., 1991.
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