The Three Boxes of Life and How to Get Out of Them: An Introduction to Life/Work Planning (Paperback)

by Richard N. Bolles (Author) "At times in my life I have felt really boxed in..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, World of Retirement, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A rich and rewarding guidebook that provides literally hundreds of resources and opportunities for growth."

Product Description
Argues that three stages of life--education, work, and retirement--have become three boxes for learning, achievement, and leisure.

Product Details

• Paperback: 466 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (August 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913668583
• ISBN-13: 978-0913668580
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #606,631 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a mind-opener after all these years, June 22, 1998

By	P. Lozar "plozar" (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I first read this book when it had been out only a few years, and it turned my head around. I had been brought up, like most children of the 'fifties, to think of life as a series of rigidly defined serial roles: first you were a student, then you were a worker, and finally you retired and got to do all the fun things you'd been putting off for the past 40-odd years. Having worked my way through graduate school, and done a bit of traveling in the process, I of course knew how artificial these distinctions were -- but I still tended to feel vaguely guilty about my "immature" lifestyle and rebuke myself for not "settling down" like a Real Grownup was "supposed to." Bolles set me straight -- in fact I was doing a pretty good job of balancing growth, work, and leisure in my life, and had nothing to be ashamed of. My subsequent work history has borne out the wisdom of his advice: I've been happiest and most productive when my life achieves that same balance; the most miserable time of my life was the nine-year period when I succumbed to the siren song of Silicon Valley and became a money-obsessed workaholic. This is a terrific book, and one that bears rereading every few years, especially when you feel your life slipping out of balance.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good guide, a different perspective, January 1, 2001

By	Robert H. Nunnally Jr. "gurdonark" (Allen, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bolles' What Colour is Your Parachute? has, in the short time since its release, become a classic in how to find a job. The Three Boxes is a related but rather different work. The author takes on the broader issues of life planning, which includes not only career, but also educational and personal planning. In some ways, this book is a rebuttal to the traditional college/career/retirement paradigm by showing that people don't have to (and,for that matter, won't even if they wished to) live their lives in the traditional career path straitjacket. The tone of the work is thoughtful but practical.

A lot of self-help oriented material nowadays seems to focus on mustering your potential to achieve your dreams. These works have their place, but they fail to answer a preliminary question--how does one know what one wants from life?

The Three Boxes is about the task of actually figuring out what you want, and then implementing what you want. It's remarkably free of needless fluff about the inner person, while filled with practical ideas on "breaking out" of the "traps" of modern career life.

This is a book to own. It's an easy and thought-provoking read, presented in light style with interesting graphics.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An expert's primer on building a balanced, satisfying life., November 3, 1997

By	[e-mail] (Rockford, Illinois) - See all my reviews

In a time when simplifying one's life, finding satisfaction and mission, and creating meaning are dominant issues for baby boomers and gen-x alike, this text is an unerring guide. Bolles patiently walks you through the process of evaluating and considering the roles of learning, working, and playing in your life. Constructing the optimal balance of those roles - the "three boxes" of the title - is up to you, but his guidance provides a starting place. This is a book I re-read, and re-consider, every two or three years.