Answering Your Call: A Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose [Paperback]

John P Schuster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 9, 2003

This spiritual how-to book helps readers discern what they are called to do, find the courage to respond to that call, and stay on course to make that vision a reality.

Author John P. Schuster first explains what it means to be called to something larger than ourselves -- to find the life that best fits us because it uses our talents to the fullest and adds the most lasting value to the world. He then shows how we can respond to that call in any area of life from career to family to community. Answering Your Call includes exercises, models, and guidelines for creating a life of meaning, illustrated with concrete and practical real-world examples.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Schuster is a principal in the consulting firm he founded in 1981 and his clients include Aventis, Sprint, EDS, the United Way and the Kauffman Foundation. He is an executive coach, trainer, and speaker. He is a senior consultant with the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara and a senior faculty member with Peter Block's School for Applied Leadership.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (February 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576752054
• ISBN-13: 978-1576752050
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John P. Schuster is an author, executive coach and mentor. He founded his business, The Schuster Kane Alliance, Inc., in the early 80's. He is a coach and mentor with Merryck and Co., the CEO mentoring firm located in the US, Europe and Australia. John serves as a faculty member for the coaching certification program at Columbia University. His company
pioneered the open-book management practices that tie to balanced
scorecard work, and he created the business simulation Profit and Cash®, now played by over 450,000 people.

Prior to starting his business, John was the Director of Human Resources for
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He also taught English in the inner city in Chicago. John is the author of the several books, including The Power of Open-book Management, (John Wiley & Sons, published in 4 languages), and Answering Your Call: a Guide to Living Your Deepest Purpose ( Berrett-Koehler, published in 3 languages). He lives in Kansas City and Columbus and frequents both coasts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fresh and insightful look at personal calling, February 21, 2003

By 

Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Answering Your Call: A Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose (Paperback)

"Am I really being called or is it wishful thinking?" "If I am responding to the call, why do I still have times of doubt?" These are among the questions one normally asks when dealing with a call. John P. Schuster masterfully with these and other questions in "Answering Your Call".

The author makes a strong argument that we often don't feel fulfilled in life if we don't know our purpose. The reason we feel we have no purpose is because we continue to miss our callings when they occur. With this as his thesis he works through the process of knowing what a call is, recognizing when you are called to do something, and responding to your call. This is a fresh and insightful look at defining purpose in your life and a recommended read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book! A Guide..., January 16, 2004

By 

Bobby (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Answering Your Call: A Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose (Paperback)

As a 'twenty-something with a clean slate', trying to balance my potential career choices with my passions and callings, this book was a refreshing reminder of what I need to consider when I am making my next life decisions. I also feel like I have several callings--which this book helped me understand.

After reading it, I can only think: "Yes, I want significance over success in my life."

The author is a great storyteller, and I will look for counsel in these pages as I move on to the next phase of my life.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Claiming Your Call, April 14, 2003

By 

"cmcadoo2" (Overland Park, KS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Answering Your Call: A Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose (Paperback)

I borrowed Answering Your Call from a friend. I read it. I bought ten. I gave them to my professional friends. I gave them to my personal friends and to my family. I wondered how John P Schuster knew what had been dancing around in my mind and heart.

Schuster has found not just a niche but also a gaping hole in the search for a purpose-filled life. He provides a framework for being true to yourself and for being intentional about your life choices. He provides examples and exercises to help the reader claim the courage and the insight to approach a call as a legitimate opportunity not as a coffee break fantasy.

This is a book that is warm and inviting. It is reassuring and yet it gives the reader a kick in the "Yes But" part of his or her response to taking a hard look at how we choose what to do with the time we have ahead.

John P Schuster is a gifted thinker and writer. Answering You Call wil not set you on fire but it will put one under you.