Chapters: Creating a Life of Exhilaration and Accomplishment in the Face of Change

As a psychotherapist and author who teaches the importance of facing fear head on (Embracing Fear, HarperSanFrancisco) I am always glad to see a book like Chapters that offers a realistic perspective, useful guidance and a hopeful message. Uncertainty is indeed the very nature of life, and Ms. Carpenter's well-written and organized book is based on the premise that coming to terms with that uncertainty (accepting that we cannot change this fact) is the key to feeling secure. (Isn't irony ironic?) Like Gavin de Becker (Fear Less), Candice Carpenter has a way of pointing to what is real and reassuring us with it. The best news is that her reassurance --- backed by her own experience, thoughtful research, and genuine compassion --- has tremendous credibility.I can think of at least a half dozen people I will recommend Chapters to immediately. And it certainly will go on the next edtion of my reading list for clients.

I work for a company that has the dubious distinction of laying off the largest number of people in 2001. Although I had gotten promotions and praise, I was not immune to the turmoil and was let go in November. Ultimately I was able to find another job within the same company, but the failure stung. Hey, "The Gig was Up".I had four weeks off between the two jobs, and it was during this downtime that I picked up "Chapters". Had I read it earlier, I might have rejected the job offer. This book perfectly captured my feelings and put a name to the stages I was going through. For example, I did nothing but watch TV for the first two weeks. I didn't know if this would last two weeks or two years, and I was terrifed that I wouldn't EVER feel like getting off the couch. Knowing that someone else had gone through the same experience, and that I would come out of it, was comforting. Even though she is a senior executive and I'm a middle manager, our experiences had similarities. She lays out many examples of non-linear careers that are ultimately successful and satisfying.This is not a "how to" book. However, this tome lays the groundwork for further exploration and is a welcome addition to the career/self-help genre.

Chapters is the best career (and life) advice book I've read in many years. I felt like Carpenter was writing about my life as she shared her professional and personal life, adventures, and wisdom with me. The book is written in a way that really made me examine my life and, at the same time, it was incredibly comforting to me. I have already purchased four more copies for gifts and have recommended it to friends, relatives, coworkers, college students, executives, and board members.

If anyone had doubts about the importance of dealing with radical change in our lives, the events of September 11 will have dispelled them. Suddenly it became clear to all of us that there are no more signposts or security blankets. The extraordinary timeliness of this book astounded me more and more as I read.Carpenter address the changes that have happened in her life with an openness that is completely refreshing. Most of us learned of her from the press during the Internet boom (and bust) and a great deal of the coverage has been anything but flattering. But the character of the writer with her guard down, looking back not only at her last chapter but those that led up to it, leaves the reader with a sense of her true depth. The vast amount of research she has done with other individuals and professionals in this area creates a perspective on this subject at a most critical time when we are all looking at a world defined by changes."Chapters" is a comprehensive examination of the one thing we all know to be true: change is the only certainty. Instead of looking at how to cope with change, Carpenter invites us to embrace and dance with it. Its clear- there will be massive changes in almost every area of your life for the rest of your life. Will you get stuck in the past and feel burdened by it or create a future that encompasses all the elements you personally need to thrive. The book shows that we all have the choice and contains many clear and inspiring stories of those that have navigated their way into a life they love. My father used to quote "The past is prologue, we go on from here." Carpenter shows that we are all creating our own life, chapter by chapter, and have the capacity to use the inevitable changes as launch pads for greater happiness and fulfillment. An inspiring and valuable book that can't help but give each reader a new perspective on what it means to be a human being in the 21st century.