Review
"Mary Lynn Pulley has written a wonderful book — a book of the stories of the people who refused to be beaten by bad luck. The story is as old as the Book of Job, but [taken] from the lives of people downsized in a modern world. This is an instructive, uplifting, yet theoretically sound book in the best traditions of the American spirit and good behavioral science." (Bob Lee, President, Center for Creative Leadership)
"A truly wonderful book! Through stories, myths and metaphors, Mary Lynn Pulley examines the factors which help people develop more meaning in their work and their lives. This book is not only for those going through career transitions, but for all of us who want to be more resilient in today's work world." (Betsy A. Collard, Career Action Center)
"There are lots of 'how to' books out there on finding a new job. This isn't one of them. This is a sensitive and profound collection of stories about the emotional and spiritual impact of job loss and the pathways to renewed wholeness. Mary Lynn's contribution in providing maps for those pathways is trailblazing. The book will find popularity among the thousands who have lost their jobs; it is 'must reading' for the career management professionals who counsel them." (Howard Smith, United Methodist clergyperson and Managing Principal, Right Associates)
"Mary Lynn Pulley offers the growing legions of those who have suffered job loss a priceless gift: hope! This book is...for those who are seeking to learn from their experience and evolve a deeper connection between their work and their human spirit." (David M. Noer, author of Healing the Wounds, Overcoming the Trauma of Layoffs, Revitalizing Downsized Organizations, and Breaking Free, A Prescription for Personal & Organizational Change)
"Mary Lynn Pulley weaves classical, mythological, literary and neighborhood tales into a practical narrative about facing change in your work life. In doing so, she finds the colorful patterns in life's loss experiences and shows how you can learn from those who have preceded you on a difficult and life-enriching path." (Geoffrey M. Bellman, author of Your Signature Path: Gaining New Perspectives on Life and Work)
From the Inside Flap
Right-sizing. Reengineering. Organizational restructuring. No matter the corporate euphemism in which it's couched, the loss of a job remains one of the most devastating events a person can encounter. But some are finding it to be a blessing in disguise. In Losing Your Job, Reclaiming Your Soul, Mary Lynn Pulley presents a positive, practical and empowering new model of career resilience for everyone who has lost, fears losing or is thinking of leaving his or her job. Here are the results of dozens of interviews with career-oriented, high-performing professionals who bounced back from the trauma of involuntary job loss. Their stories provide powerful, real-world lessons in flexibility, determination and fulfillment. Interweaving her subjects' stories with themes from myths and other well-known tales, Pulley creates a multidimensional work that
- Illustrates the new career model our information age demands
- Examines the demise of our core cultural beliefs — including The American Dream and The Promise of Job Security — and provides guidance for investing those beliefs with new meaning
- Presents the various ways people respond to job loss and describes why some experience positive, transformative change as a result
- Challenges our basic views about our jobs — and our lives — and provides lessons for reclaiming meaning in both.
Imaginative, illuminating, and ultimately inspiring, Losing Your Job, Reclaiming Your Soul puts the prospect of job loss in meaningful perspective, and gives us insight into how to turn one of life's most catastrophic experiences into a wellspring of personal and professional reawakening. No matter the corporate euphemism in which it's couched, the loss of a job remains one of the most devastating events a person can encounter. But some are finding it to be a blessing in disguise. With this book, author Mary Lynn Pulley presents a positive, practical and empowering new model of career resilience for everyone who has lost,
