This article will review the book, “What Color is your Parachute?” In 2022, this book is in its 49th yearly edition. The yearly, updated editions consist of the rewriting of up to two thirds of the book to assure that the advice is current.
This user-friendly book has an impressive list of kudos, some of which include:
1. Being bought by over 10 million readers since its first publication.
2. Endorsements by Fortune and Time Magazines, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, various professional journals, and the Library of Congress.
3. Being translated into 20 languages.
4. Being used in 26 countries.
This book stresses that job seekers should be concerned not only with matching their skills to job requirements, but also with finding jobs they can fill with passion. To that end, the author, Richard Bolles, helps readers to determine their mission in life. The spiritual component to his book is not surprising because Richard Bolles holds a master’s degree in sacred theology and served for a while as a church pastor.
His list of qualifications is too lengthy to be considered here in its entirety. Briefly, however, he is often described as the counseling field’s foremost authority and has received three honorary doctorates. He also has been the keynote speaker at hundreds of conferences. In addition, he is a member of Mensa and the Society for Human Resource Management.
This book is very dense with helpful information which includes:
1. Hands on exercises.
2. Diagrams.
3. Charts.
4. Lists.
5. Forms.
6. References to other valuable career information and services.
This book, however, is not tedious. It is very user friendly and has numerous:
1. Illustrations
2. Cartoons.
3. Quotes.
4. Discussion dialogues.
5. Games.
6. Poems.
7. Photos.
8. Drawings.
Readers can use this book by themselves or with their career coaches.
I agree with Mr. Bolles that everyone should try to find careers they are passionate about. I think, however, that the first jobs that young people hold when beginning their careers might not always be their conception of their ideal jobs. Hopefully, however, as they progress in their careers, they will understand, qualify for, and obtain the ideal jobs they can perform in with passion.
