Books that Changed my World
Working Identity by Herminia Ibarra
Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career
There are lots of career books out there, so why is this one so much better? Well rather than theorise about the whole thing and make all those lists of your stengths and weakenesses, we go through case studies of people who have undergone the process of a career change and then draw conclusions. How does the conventional wisdom of career theory compare with the actual process? What is it that actually happens during a career change? Well people actually try things out. They don’t really sit there and work on their personality profile they feel that they want to do something and they have a go. People learn far more about themselves by doing something rather than trying to figure out if they would like it or if they could stick at it.
I bought this book a couple of years ago, perhaps three now. I had just completed my diploma in sound engineering and wondered if that was what I really wanted to do. Then I did a bit of internet research and kept coming across this book. Then I decided to buy it. There was something about it that sounded different to all the other books. And it was.
I’m now starting a business in web design and I don’t think that it would have been a choice that I would have considered. But I’m really enjoying it and it just seems to fit. After reading this book I was encouraged just to try something rather than think about possible careers according to my aptitude and my skills.
Use your Head by Tony Buzan
Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar
Light on Yoga
My journey into yoga began here with the 300 week course at the back of the book. But now I realise that it had already begun much earlier, about about 5 years earlier. I would say that this is still definitive tome on yoga practice and no yoga practitioner should be without it. I got to week 72 by the way.
January 29th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Arup – love info about the books here … very interesting… Definately inspired me to read a few of them. Keep up the blogging! Bx
March 18th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Taking action and trying things out are essential to meaningful career change. I’ve known many unhappy with their careers, but they never take action. If it means taking a job for less money they never seem to save or get their budget in order so they can make the move.
Or the possible desirable new career requires additional education but they never seem to find the time or money to undertake the required education.
Taking action that changed the USA is outlined in Andy Andrews book “The Travelers Gift,” where Col. Joshua Chamberlain took action in the face of almost insurmountable odds and perhaps changed the outcome of the Civil War.
We’ve had a strong week of rain here in Missouri, you don’t start building your ark after water is everywhere but on a dry sunny day. Plan ahead, take action and before you know it you will be in a career you love, and can’t wait to go to work every day.