Making a Life, Making a Living(r): Reclaiming Your Purpose and Passion in Business and in Life

Mark Albion's book provides very useful, down-to-earth stories on how people can simultaneously follow their inner compass and accomplish good deeds, and live comfortably financially. Nothing was guaranteed for those who finally broke through and reached their goals. They only had their vision and sense of values to guide them, and of course high levels of commitment and tenaciousness. Albion is really telling the story in today's terms that has been common to all successful people, but he tells it compellingly, and in vivid terms that modern, busy people can relate to. It's a must read.

Socrates taught that "The unexamined life is not worth living." Mark Albion's fabulous book, Making a Life, Making a Living, brings to heart the message that the unlived life may not be worth examining. This book is an inspirational and instructive tool that inspires the reader to create a life according to the reader's values and dreams. This book empowers the reader to both "do good" and "do well" -- to make a difference in the world and earn a living at the same time. If you want to have a more balanced life consistent with your inner voice, you have to read this book."

This book is different and worthwhile. I've been through all sorts of jobs, from high tech exec to recently becoming a student again. During each transition in my life I would go to the book store and buy a stack of books, hoping to find the answer inside. This book doesn't have the answer either. Instead it acknowledges that each of us has our own truth. What it does give you is: 1. hope that you can find your own (for-profit!) career that helps people in whatever area your own gifts lie, thereby adding meaning and fulfilment to your own life 2. inspiration that the path may not be short or easy but IS possible 3. key questions to help draw the answers from your soul 4. quotes from all sorts of people that ring so true you'll want one or more on your mirror 5. direction to resources to help you at both the makingalife.com site and other placesI have known Mark since college. He could be making megabucks, not writing books. Why isn't he? Because he genuinely believes that all of us can and should be able to have purposeful work that makes us feel good about who we are and what we do every day - and be able to make a decent wage doing it. Anyone who has made "enough" money and found themselves feeling empty can tell you that money isn't all there is. Schools measure how many graduates get jobs and the size of their starting salaries. Mark is trying to help these same talented people see that money won't make them happy. See that once you get on that treadmill, it's not so easy to get off of it (email me if you don't believe this) like you say you will. I say, "Bravo!" This book can't give you your own answer to what the music is that plays in your soul. But it can and does tell the story of a dozen people's search and ultimate success in doing so. Let yourself be inspired by the examples, and I wish you the best of luck on your path. Have FUN!

Dr. Mark Albion has written a "life-changing" book. That term, though generally inappropriate, is more than appropriate here. He provides anyone who is not ecstatic with their work (job, career) or their life the wisdom to make the changes they desire and live a life of joy, contribution, and significance. "Dr. Mark" does this through a combination of his own wisdom (and he definitely qualifies, having achieved a bounty of success at a very young age, realizing he was still not living his desired meaningful life, and then actually "doing" what he teaches in the book) and the wisdom of a cast of "life-successes" you will relate to and, some of them, even love.As great as the book is, and as compelling as the individual stories and lessons are, the final chapter is a classic ending. It's actually a surprise twist (I won't ruin it by telling you what it is). Although a couple of hints were given early in the chapter, when it finally hit me, I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter just so that I could re-read it with full knowledge. I believe the story will make you a bit "misty-eyed," and make you think about and re-assess some of the more important relationships in your life.One other nice surprise - this one regarding the general nature of the book - was in what was not included; I was a bit concerned that this book would be just a bit "anti free-enterprise." I'm a big believer that free-enterprise (capitalism) is, by it's very nature, the most charitable economic system there is. Would this book try to disprove that? Not at all. Dr. Mark and his wisdom-filled friends merely point out that if what you are doing stirs your passion, allows you to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and makes you feel good about yourself, then you really can have it all. You find yourself "Making A Life, Making A Living!"

Dr. Mark gives new meaning to the word status. The people whose lives he writes about, in his fun to read book, wear their "success" in their hearts, not on their backs. With quotes from those as diverse as Mother Teresa and Paula Poundstone,this inspirational book is actually a "page turner".I admit to skipping over some of the quotations if they got in the way of my finding out "what happened next". Dr. Mark sounds like someone with whom it would be fun to have dinner.More chatty than preachy.