Product Description

A job is never just a job. It is always connected to a deep and invisible process of finding meaning in life through work.

In Thomas Moore’s groundbreaking book Care of the Soul, he wrote of “the great malady of the twentieth century…the loss of soul.” That bestselling work taught readers ways to cultivate depth, genuineness, and soulfulness in their everyday lives, and became a beloved classic. Now, in A Life’s Work, Moore turns to an aspect of our lives that looms large in our self-regard, an aspect by which we may even define ourselves—our work. The workplace, Moore knows, is a laboratory where matters of soul are worked out. A Life’s Work is about finding the right job, yes, and it is also about uncovering and becoming the person you were meant to be.

Moore reveals the quest to find a life’s work in all its depth and mystery. All jobs, large and small, long-term and temporary, he writes, contribute to your life’s work. A particular job may be important because of the emotional rewards it offers or for the money. But beneath the surface, your labors are shaping your destiny for better or worse. If you ignore the deeper issues, you may not know the nature of your calling, and if you don’t do work that connects with your deep soul, you may always be dissatisfied, not only in your choice of work but in all other areas of life. Moore explores the often difficult process—the obstacles, blocks, and hardships of our own making—that we go through on our way to discovering our purpose, and reveals the joy that is our reward. He teaches us patience, models the necessary powers of reflection, and gives us the courage to keep going.

A Life’s Work is a beautiful rumination, realistic and poignant, and a comforting and exhilarating guide to one of life’s biggest dilemmas and one of its greatest opportunities.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #142654 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-26
• Released on: 2008-02-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this slender volume, bestselling spiritual guru Moore (Care of the Soul) says that finding the right work, finding one's vocation, is also part of the care of the soul. Often Moore proves astute; for instance, he urges people to think about having not just one but a variety of callings. His consideration of the pleasures and foibles of friendship in the workplace is especially insightful. Although confident that even the most mundane job can be enjoyable and life-giving, Moore sets the question of vocation in a broader frame, suggesting that it is best addressed as a part of fashioning lives that are organically whole and meaningful. Though still influenced by Jung, Moore draws inspiration from a delightful array of sources, including Yeats, Socrates, and Rapunzel. The book's governing metaphor, alchemy, is often apt; Moore notes that both alchemy and finding a life's work require patience through a long refining process, and both are about the process, not just the end result. Often the comparison works; at other times, it's heavy-handed, and Moore also lapses into clichés (take the past and own it). Nonetheless, this will be of use to many people who seek joyful work and integrated lives. (Feb. 26)
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From AudioFile
In his discussion of work satisfaction, Moore relies on the metaphor of an alchemist mixing the proper ingredients to achieve gold. He looks at work broadly, not only as a job needed to earn a living. Choices of work reflect our relationship with ourselves and all aspects of life. If work is not satisfying, he says, look behind the dissatisfaction to the lessons to be learned--or be doomed to a pattern of more of the same. Lloyd James is a serious and objective narrator who puts the material center stage. He doesn't try to persuade or advocate. He lays out the text in a manner that is as straightforward and no-nonsense as its message. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
Praise for A Life’s Work
“Over the years, Thomas Moore has taught us how to discover the holiness concealed in the ordinary. In this very useful book, he shows us how to search for the sacred dimension of our work and find our life’s meaning in the process.”
—HAROLD KUSHNER, author of WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE

“Forget about the color of your parachute, here is a book that teaches you how to fly. Through ancient parable, contemporary therapy, personal vignette, and, above all, an uncommon sapience, Moore deftly guides through life’s greatest quandary: Why have I been created? Give this book to yourself.”
—Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, author of Kabbalah: A Love Story

And Praise for Care of the Soul

“From time to time, I’ve been jolted by an extraordinary book that stops my world. It forces me to look at reality in a different way—a more expansive and meaningful way. It has provided a missing piece for me.”
—John Bradshaw, author of Homecoming

“The sincerity, intelligence, and style—so beautifully clean—of Tom Moore’s Care of the Soul truly moved me. The book’s got strength and class and soul, and I suspect may last longer than psychology itself.”
—James Hillman, author of Re-Visioning Psychology

“The book just may help you give up the futile quest for salvation and get down to the possible task of taking care of your soul. A modest, and therefore marvelous, book about the life of the spirit.”
—Sam Keen, author of Fire in the Belly

“Thoughtful, eloquent, inspiring.”
—Alix Madrigal, San Francisco Chronicle

Customer Reviews

work as the opus of the soul
This book uses the process of alchemy as its basic metaphor. He describes the process one would follow to find one's life work. A unique section of this book describes work and the care of the soul. I found this book to be quite abstract with little practicality that is usually found in a self-help book.