Customer Reviews

Work On Purpose

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4 star:		(3)
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This books serves as an answer to the most difficult question of most people's lives: What do I want to do? What kind of an impact do I want to have? What could I be passionate about doing for the rest of my life?

Work on Purpose teaches by example, illustrating how different leaders from different walks of life have taken the plunge, leaving their comfort zones to pursue their passions, whether that be pioneering the search for curing cancer, or reviving education in the heart of Harlem. The idea is to make your work your calling, to work because you are passionate, not because you are being paid.

The one drawback of the book is that it emphasizes non-profit and charity work as the way forward in working with passion. While this certainly makes sense for many people, many others are able to find a tremendous amount of fulfillment and purpose in the private sector. Of course, in that space, there is a natural compensation, cash. So while the book overlooks the ability of the private sector to provide purposeful employment, it instead focuses on an area where the rewards are more abstract, where the path is less certain. In doing so, it gives a voice to those that want to look outside the for-profit sector for their passion.

If you are looking for meaning in work and life, then this book is for you. If you are looking to get out of a job that you can't get excited about, then this book is for you. And if you love the work that you do everyday, then this book is an opportunity to read about others like yourself who have found fulfillment, by listening to their hearts, using their heads, and unleashing the hustle that motivates to create change every day.

I recently graduated from college, and am in the process of trying to determine what visions I want to guide my life and my work. This book was very helpful, because it allowed me to read the stories of people who are deeply motivated by visions of service and care deeply about the work they do. Their stories also make it clear that the process of finding real meaning and satisfaction in one's work is not always an easy or simple process. The book makes it clear that such a journey calls for introspection, vision, persistence, and patience. It is good to be reminded of this.

"Work on Purpose" introduces the formula of "head+heart=hustle," which I understood to mean that when sincere passion (heart) finds right relationship with skills and practicality (head), the work that results has the capacity to move mountains.

May we all find ways to bring our heads and our hearts into harmony so that we may be of ultimate service to the world!
May this book find wide readership and inspire many like it inspired me! Its message is sorely needed.

As someone trying to figure out how to start out on the path of a meaningful career, I found "Work on Purpose" inspirational. The five people whose stories we follow are so easy to relate to, and yet have accomplished amazing things. I love that there are sections throughout the book for personal reflection, so that the reader is invited to trace their own journey through the same steps these leaders have taken to get to where they are now. It is also so encouraging to be reminded that this journey is usually a winding one, but that every experience can be valuable when we finally do end up syncing our heart and head.

Work on Purpose was a thought provoking read that left me wanting more. The journeys of the different individuals showed that anything is possible. Everyone has the opportunity to follow their passion and create a career that inspires them. I highly recommend this book to millennials and young professionals seeking guidance in shaping their own stories.

I am a college student with only a vague notion of what I want to do with my life, but I do know I want to be able to make a difference. Work on Purpose is a short but very inspiring read that showed glowing examples of the endless possibility for positive change in today's world. I was able to see a bit of myself in each story; each tale is easy to relate to but very informative. A must read for anyone who wants to make a difference!

As a college student who is in the process of "finding myself," I have found this book to be THE MOST helpful read. The book tells the story of 5 of the fellows funded by the organization who published the book and follows them as they find and shape their career path. Often my generation is told that we shouldn't major in things like anthropology because we will never be able to make money doing so, but this book proves them all wrong. Whatever your skills and passions are, you can mix them in such a way that is not only successful but also life-fulfilling.

Totally recommend it!! (Plus, it is a short, easy, yet captivating read!)

While this inspiring book is directed at young potential social entrepeneurs, it is a great read for anyone. The stories of the people profiled are amazing. Each has overcome so much, achieved success and then turned to giving back. Their stories are bookended by strong messages from Lance Armstrong and Geoffrey Canada. A quick read and a beautifully written book.

This book offers a useful perspective on the world of work for young to middle aged people. Too many of us made choices of a vocational nature without assessing our passions. This can lead young impressionable people with a poor model for life. It is no wonder some kids are loath to start working with these poor role models around them. This book will hopefully serve as a life handbook for my grandchildren whenever they feel stuck and exhausted at work.

Length:: 4:38 Mins

To be a social entrepreneur is a journey of the heart. This book reveals the inner story.

- Michael Margolis, Dean of Story University, and founder of Get Storied

Have you ever been on a road trip, clicking along according to plan and suddenly your perfectly laid out agenda gets jolted out of line by one of those unexpected annoying detours? First, you gripe and moan and check your watch thinking the worst has happened, until you pause for just a moment to look around finding yourself in the midst of some of the most beautiful scenery you've ever witnessed. Wow. It can immediately change your perspective and open the door to an entirely new dimension of possibilities. If not for the detour, your focus in simply getting from A to B would have precluded the breathless wonders of the journey.
Work on Purpose is a masterfully written rousing call to consider the notion that it is along those detour routes of life our true passions are often discovered. Lara Galinsky knocks it out of the park with a line up of extraordinary visionaries who followed their hearts, fully engaged their heads, and found their hustle. Through the stirring stories of the five change makers profiled in the book, we follow the twists and turns of their own personal detours enroute to their destinies. These amazingly generous every day heroes allow us to follow the paths that led them to now walking the talk in ardently aligning their core values with their life's work. They lead by example and are beacons to the rest of us that we all have the potential to realize our dreams, live our passions, and to work on purpose. This book is a guide for anyone who seeks a meaningful life. It is also a testament to Echoing Green's mission. How do I know? Because I'm an Echoing Green fellow alumna who unleashed my own passion for social justice through their leadership, support, and ongoing community network. I highly recommend Work on Purpose, the book. I also strongly urge you to embrace the detour, unearth your heart's desire and use Lara's exceptional gift to us all as a resource manual to work on purpose every day for the rest of your life.