The Purpose Path: A Guide to Pursuing Your Authentic Life's Work

by Nicholas Pearce (Narrator), Parker J. Palmer (Contributor)

How to build a meaningful career with a moral center and a purpose in the world

Some of the world's most successful companies—Google, Disney, Starbucks—are not simply profit-driven, but purpose-driven. They identify the purpose behind why they do what they do, and let their "why" drive what they do every day.

Nicholas Pearce argues that we all should do the same: discover our "why" and commit to the journey of aligning our daily work with our life's work. The Purpose Path is for people in any field who long to have more than just a job or a career, but a true vocation that allows them to connect their soul with their role. The Purpose Path is organized around five key questions: What is success? Who am I? Why am I here? Am I running the right race? Am I running the race well?

Nicholas Pearce sits at the unconventional intersection of academia, business, and faith. With examples and advice, he shows how he and other people in a variety of fields and at different life stages have asked and answered these five questions in order to start, shape, or even radically change their careers. Inspiring, thought-provoking, and practical, The Purpose Path is an essential book for anyone who seeks the clarity and courage to advance their authentic life's work every day.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Leadership

Audible Audio

First published April 9, 2019

Reviews

[Pip Coomes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF'd this book towards the end. I tried to push through. I liked the first chapter about redefining what success means for you, which isn't super original but... whatever.

From then on it became very much a discussion of the authors faith and religious beliefs - which is fine - BUT it's not really marketed as a faith based book and it really, really is. Most of it is about following the creators path etc. Looking beyond that there's nothing really different in this book from other similar books.

[Manuel Martínez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lo leí de principio a fin buscando la razón por la que algunas personas lo recomiendan, no la encontré.

Todo se resume a escuchar “tu llamado” y buscar el fin para el que fuiste puesto en el mundo por “tu creador”. Intenta alejarse de ser un libro meramente religioso pero no lo logra.

Tiene algunos buenos consejos y señala algunas realidades pero no pasa de ahí.

[Ashlie aka The Cheerbrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I presently work at Kellogg School of Management which is the business school at Northwestern University. As such, we have access to top rated faculty and have opportunities to see them present their work at lunch events and the like. It's a pretty neat built-in professional development opportunity. As such, Dr. Pearce presented an event for staff the other day. Though I wasn't able to attend, I did find out from colleagues that they received free books and I was like WHAT. FREE BOOK?! Luckily, there were extras and I snagged a copy. Plus the people I knew that attended felt that his presentation and material was very beneficial, in addition, I'm presently on a quest to define/capture/tame my career and love any inputs on that line, so I dove in.

This was a quick read that I devoured over the weekend.

Pearce is a triple threat in that he is a consultant, Kellogg faculty, and pastor. He from an early age identified and later defined his path and has created a career that allows him to follow what he feels is his god-given reason for being on this earth. His passion is evident, and this book is an interesting collection of compelling anecdotes from his on life, and those in his circle, plus public figures combined with well-researched backing. I turned down corners of pages I wanted to go back to and there are many bookmarked with interesting tidbits. I particularly liked the point he made about our obsession in America with productivity, and his counterpoint that we are "human BE-ings, not human DO-ings" which was a nice note.

This book is largely based on his strong faith, in that he feels that your vocation is your answer to the calling sent to you by God, so, if like me you are not a person of faith with that belief system, it could feel a little hopeless (because there isn't a point that "and if you don't think this, here is your path to success). That being said, because it was evident early on, I chose to read this to glean out of it what resonated with me, and with that in mind, it was successful. It gave me another way to frame the work I am trying to do with my career, and I'll be suggesting it to other people on that path.

[Claudio Arato · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a classic tweener book. Professor Pearce has a marvellous story as an obviously intelligent chemical engineer (I am one too), a management theory thought leader and interestingly, a devout family man and pastor. Moreso, it the subjugation of the self to a greater G*d is what undoes this slightly sterile book, not to mention the implication that Muslims and Jews and agnostics and aetheists need not apply.

He comes across very well in interviews (an excellent Harvard Business Review ideacast).

The book suffers too much from his high level interactions with already highly successful people with a host of opportunities unavailable to many who would read such a book without bringing it back adequately. I have many of the material and career success alluded to in Professor Pearce’s own success and yet it was hard to find the personal insights.

There are some. The notion that we are all in high impact stakes every time we interact with people is vital and entirely true. As is the Sinek principle that it is the WHY that supersedes the WHAT.

There is a fundamental effort at honest integrity and that is why I would like to hear him speak and take a more nuanced effort at this important pursuit. 3.6/5

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book says many of the right things, but there's nothing new here. It is a weird mishmash of business organizational development case study book, Christian self-help, and career development book. The theology was really thin (it wasn't the focus, but the author says it is the base of all vocational discovery, so it really did need more).

Parker Palmer's "Let Your Life Speak" and Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" are much better.

[Jess Macallan · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the thoughtfully-framed questions that will prompt readers to dive deeper into how they're leading their lives and how they can maintain authenticity. It's not the most engaging self-help book I've read, but the way the author walks readers through the questions is helpful.

The religious aspect of this book might prevent some readers from connecting with the author or message (not everyone needs religion to have a purpose).

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Helena#bookdreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thought this was a mind provoking novel that prompts readers to think about the below questions:
What is success? Who am I? Why am I here? Am I running the right race? Am I running the race well?
Each chapter of this novel unravels each question with personal stories from famous people like Oprah and Obama and challenges the reader to apply these tquestions to their own lives. Well written and inspiring.

[Caitlin Zinsser · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was presented to me and a huge cohort of other employees as a critical career development book, and I think that colored my opinion negatively, as many in the cohort are not Christian and this is, first and foremost, a book about listening to God's call for your life. The religious component was a turn off as no practical advice was offered beyond, to paraphrase, pray and listen to God's voice.

[Helio Jacinto · Rating 3 out of 5]

My experience with this book

I liked the book. It does relates to it's title and it's insightful on how to take on a life of purpose and why purpose matters.
Although at some some point, it does suggest religion as the solution it also gives alternative for non religious people.
I just felt like the end was a bit rushed and the book missed something still.

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you've never read this type of book before then this could be a good read. There is nothing new or game changing here. It reaffirms all the stuff you've heard before.

[Carol A · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a waste of time totally miss labeled!!

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about living your purpose.

[Kim Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! I learned so much . A year later and it still inspires me

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not realise this book had a religious basis when I started it HOWEVER finding your vocational courage outside of religion and in life is extremely important and undervalued.

[Annmarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a religious person, but spiritual, finding value and obstacles in all religions. There was inspiration in here, is someone is in need of finding purpose in choices you make.