Even though it is graced with a photo of Keith Richards and a nod to his new autobiography, Life; Kerry Hannon’s Forbes.com post 10 Great Books for Career Changers, Give The Gift of Possibility has to-the-point thumbnails on self-help, career-changing and personal finance books to aid people in transition. She mentions job hunters and retirees as potential recipients of the books, but the list should hold appeal for people in various types and stages of transition, which is pretty much everyone. Our transitions take place at different paces and in varying levels of awareness. So reading thoughtful books can often be valuable companions for our journeys. Kerry is a former colleague of mine at USA TODAY, and she now has a super-active career as a writer and editor, including as contributing editor and retirement correspondent for U.S. News & World Report. #7 on her list is her latest book, WHAT’S NEXT? Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job. (She admits it is a “shameless” choice, but that her inspirational message is too important not to include in the list out of modesty.) #1 is Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, the followup to Made to Stick. She intentionally chose some earlier titles, including 2008’s Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life, by Marc Freedman, and The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life, published a decade ago by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. In 2001, I saw the Zanders give a highly inspirational presentation. And they are profiled in Eric Liu’s 2006 book Guiding Lights – How to Mentor and Find Life’s Purpose. Many people in transition are or will be involved in teaching, learning and mentoring, so I would add Eric’s book as the unofficial #11 on the list. Happy reading!
