BOLDT, Laurence G.

PERSONAL: Male. Education: University of Wisconsin, received degree (psychology), 1979.

ADDRESSES: Home—Santa Barbara, CA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Tricycle Press, P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707.

CAREER: Author, consultant, lecturer, and workshop instructor.

WRITINGS:

Manifest Your Destiny, 1986, revised edition published as How to Be, Do, or Have Anything: A Practical Guide to Creative Empowerment, Ten Speed Press (Berkeley, CA), 2001.

Zen and the Art of Making a Living in the Post-ModernWorld: A Career Guide for Dharma Bums, Social Activists, and Reformed Yuppies, Lightning Press (Santa Rosa, CA), 1992, revised edition published as Zen and the Art of Making a Living: A Practical Guide to Creative Career Design, Arkana (New York, NY), 1993, revised edition, Penguin/Arkana, 1999.

How to Find the Work You Love, Arkana (New York, NY), 1996.

Zen Soup: Tasty Morsels of Wisdom from Great MindsEast and West, Penguin/Arkana (New York, NY), 1997.

The Tao of Abundance: Eight Ancient Principles ofAbundant Living, Penguin/Arkana (New York, NY), 1999.

Also the author of a screenplay and of poetry.

SIDELIGHTS: Laurence G. Boldt is a career consultant who, in his various publications, combines Eastern philosophy with practical advice on finding fulfilling work. Noting that the job market has changed significantly over the past two or three decades, he feels it is more important than ever not only to develop and expand one's work skills but also to find work that best fits one's own personality and dreams. In his Zen and the Art of Making a Living: A Practical Guide to Creative Career Design, for example, Boldt includes practical advice on such subjects as how to network and write an effective résumé, while also advising readers on how to see work as an extension of oneself. As Eric Watkins explained in the African Business London, for the author "work is more an expression of one's personal destiny than anything else and the object of his book is to help people find the kind of work which is appropriate to them." Calling Zen and the Art of Making a Living an "inspiring book," Watkins concluded that Boldt's book really makes clear why work is "important for one's self-development."

The Tao of Abundance: Eight Ancient Principles of Abundant Living complements Boldt's earlier career guides by emphasizing that relaxation, an appreciation for life, and a lack of concern for material wealth are as important as finding a fulfilling career. These ideas, taken from Tao philosophy, are then expressed in practical terms with workbook examples for readers to follow as they simplify and reprioritize their lives. "Those looking for a way to sidestep the endless cycle of getting and spending will welcome Boldt's" book, according to Publishers Weekly writers Jeff Zaleski, Paul Gediman, Charlotte Abbott, and Sarah Gold.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

African Business London, April, 1997, Eric Watkins, review of Zen and the Art of Making a Living: A Practical Guide to Creative Career Design, p. 40.

Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ), January 21, 1994, J. C. Martin, "Zen: Its Ideas Apply to Today's Workers, Author Says," p. D1.

Library Journal, February 1, 1996, MaryEllen Mort, review of How to Find the Work You Love, p. 160.

Publishers Weekly, November 1, 1999, Jeff Zaleski, Paul Gediman, Charlotte Abbott, and Sarah Gold, review of The Tao of Abundance: Eight Ancient Principles of Abundant Living, p. 65.*