Bruce Feiler

From the New York Times bestselling author of Life Is in the Transitions comes a bold new road map for finding meaning and purpose at work, based on insights drawn from hundreds of life stories of Americans from all backgrounds and vocations When Bruce Feiler completed his last book, which introduced readers to the idea of the "nonlinear life," he realized that the greatest frontier of change in the world is work. Unprecedented numbers of Americans are quitting their jobs, rethinking their routines, breaking away from stifling expectations. The most suffocating iron cage of all is the premise that each of us must have a career. We must follow a linear path of success, locking into a dream early, always climbing higher, never stopping until we reach the top. Few ideas have created more misery, squandered more human potential, or ruined more relationships. Feiler resolved to help us all imagine better. From thousands of hours of interviews with an extraordinarily diverse group of Americans, Feiler has distilled a powerful new vision for how to think about work. He shows that our lives are upended by a stream of "workquakes" on average every two and a half years. Sure, some people set a goal and stick with it, but far more of us revise our passions, change our directions, and rethink our priorities. The Search empowers each of us to stop chasing someone else's dream and start chasing our own. After dismantling the three lies about work, Feiler lays out the one truth: that each of us must write our own story. Showing that the people who are happiest at work don't climb, they dig, Feiler introduces the six questions to ask in a workquake that allow us to perform a "meaning audit," tapping into our truest selves and our deepest hopes to create the meaning we crave and the success we deserve. Both timely and timeless, this book arrives as the world reimagines our basic assumptions about work--and shows that the answers involve not following the outdated scripts of others, but giving yourself to yourself, learning to dial into your own inner voice and turning the volume all the way up.

Navigate work successfully as a first-time parent. Just when you're starting to figure out this parenting thing, wham, your leave is over. You're excited to go back, you already miss your baby like crazy, and you don't know how you're going to get through your commute without dozing off, let alone actually do your job. Take a deep breath&#8212you'll get through it. The first few weeks and months as a working parent are hard, but they can be truly affirming, too. People want to see you succeed, they'll support you if you ask, and you'll find you have energy stores and resources you didn't know existed. You can make great strides forward in your career when you're a new parent. Succeeding as a First-Time Parent can help. This volume will help you:Understand all your options for childcareHave essential conversations with your spouse or partnerStay connected during leave and hit the ground running when you returnGet the support you need at workStay on the career track you want to be onSet reasonable expectations for yourselfCarry on amid inevitable exhaustion and emotional upheavalSet your family up for success, however you measure itThe HBR Working Parents Series with Daisy Dowling, Series Editor, supports readers as you anticipate challenges, learn how to advocate for yourself more effectively, juggle your impossible schedule, and find fulfillment at home and at work. Whether you're up with a newborn or planning the future with your teen, you'll find the practical tips, strategies, and research you need to make working parenthood work for you.

Navigate work successfully as a first-time parent. Just when you're starting to figure out parenting, all of a sudden your leave time is over. You're excited to go back, but you already miss your baby like crazy, and you don't know how you're going to get through the first meeting without dozing off, let alone actually do your job. Succeeding as a First-Time Parent will help you take a deep breath and get through it. Your first year as a working parent will be hard, but it can be truly affirming. You'll find you have energy stores, resources, and supporters that you didn't know existed and that you can make strides forward at work when you're a new mother or father. You'll learn to:Understand all your options for childcareHit the ground running when you return from leaveStay on the career track you want to be onCarry on amid inevitable exhaustion and emotional upheavalSet your family up for success, however you measure itThe HBR Working Parents Series with Daisy Dowling, Series Editor, supports readers as you anticipate challenges, learn how to advocate for yourself more effectively, juggle your impossible schedule, and find fulfillment at home and at work. Whether you're up with a newborn or planning the future with your teen, you'll find the practical tips, strategies, and research you need to make working parenthood work for you.

An exploration of the way Adam and Eve introduced the idea of love into the world, and how they continue to shape our deepest feelings about relationships, family, and togetherness. Since antiquity, Adam and Eve have stood at the center of every conversation about men and women. Yet instead of celebrating them, history has blamed them for bringing sin, deceit, and death into the world. In this fresh retelling of their story, Bruce Feiler travels from the Garden of Eden in Iraq to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, discovering how Adam and Eve should be hailed as exemplars of a long-term, healthy, resilient relationship. At a time of discord and fear over the strength of our social fabric, Feiler shows how history's first couple can again be role models for unity, forgiveness, and love.

One of our great decoders of human connection chronicles the astonishing rise of new rituals around the world--and offers a road map for restoring togetherness with gatherings you'll love Since time immemorial, humans have turned to ritual to connect us in periods of change. Until today. Birth rituals and coming-of-age rituals have plummeted; fewer than half of Americans are married; only one in three is buried. "It took us ten thousand years to establish cultural norms around how we mark collective life transitions," writes Bruce Feiler. "It took us fifty years to dismantle them." Can this threat to society be reversed? To find out, Feiler went on a round-the-world ritual road trip, attending--and participating in--life rituals in sixteen countries on six continents. These spectacles, some rarely seen, include a mass baptism in the Vatican, a tribal bride price negotiation in South Africa, an adolescent tooth filing in Bali, six weddings in Las Vegas, and ten funerals in Ireland. Beyond the decline in traditional rituals, Feiler discovered that we are in the midst of a ritual renaissance that is pushing back against apathy, loneliness, and digital saturation. Fed up with top-down scripts, everyday people, from boomers to Gen Z, are reimagining collective rituals at a remarkable pace, inventing fresh ways to gather around life, love, health, and family--and forging thriving communities in the process. As he did with Life Is in the Transitions, Feiler also collected stories of a hundred ritual designers and built a first-of-its kind database of ideas to make gatherings more effective--from creating sacred space to mediating conflict to generating "wows" that guests will talk about forever. From a master storyteller uncovering a thrilling phenomenon hiding in plain sight, A Time to Gather is both a stirring adventure and practical manual. It's a landmark guide to modern ritual; a tool kit for turning everyday moments into unforgettable celebrations; and an invitation to reconnect and rejoice--together.

All the advice you need to succeed as a first-time working parent. The year after having your first baby can be one of the most challenging and disorienting periods of your career. From finding the best childcare when you return to work, to setting expectations with your manager, to getting enough sleep so you can show up as the person you want to be and do your job well—juggling it all can seem impossible. You're not alone, but you're going through a tough moment and you need support. The HBR Working Parents Starter Set offers insights and practical advice from world-class experts on the topics that are the most important to new working parents who want to be great parents and have impactful careers. The five books in this set—Succeeding as a First-Time Parent, Getting It All Done, Taking Care of Yourself, Managing Your Career, and Communicate Better with Everyone—will teach you how to transition back to work effectively, make decisions that align with your priorities, find time for personal development, and make career choices that work for you—and your family. There's no simple answer or foolproof tip to make working parenthood easy—but the strategies in this collection can help set you on the path toward finding success both in your career and as a parent. The HBR Working Parents Series with Daisy Dowling, Series Editor, supports readers as you anticipate challenges, learn how to advocate for yourself more effectively, juggle your impossible schedule, and find fulfillment at home and at work. Whether you're up with a newborn or planning the future with your teen, you'll find the practical tips, strategies, and research you need to make working parenthood work for you.

You can have a successful career and be the dad you want to be. Finally, we've moved past the days when providing for your family meant taking a backseat role in your children's lives. Still, many of us aren't finding the support and flexibility we need, and the time-management challenge of performing at work while being a present dad at home can feel impossible. Advice for Working Dads will help you balance and integrate your career and fatherhood, navigate always-on work cultures, and find success and fulfillment in one of the toughest&#8212and most important&#8212jobs you’ll ever take on. You'll learn to:Set reasonable expectations and limitsCarve out quality time for family, even when you're at your busiestStay true to yourself, your friends, and your personal interestsCommunicate better with your spouse or partner about careers, parenting, and choresModel your work and life values for your childrenThe HBR Working Parents Series with Daisy Dowling, Series Editor, supports readers as you anticipate challenges, learn how to advocate for yourself more effectively, juggle your impossible schedule, and find fulfillment at home and at work. Whether you're up with a newborn or planning the future with your teen, you'll find the practical tips, strategies, and research you need to make working parenthood work for you.

A New York Times bestseller A pioneering and timely study of how to navigate life's biggest transitions with meaning, purpose, and skill Bruce Feiler, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Secrets of Happy Families and Council of Dads, has long explored the stories that give our lives meaning. Galvanized by a personal crisis, he spent the last few years crisscrossing the country, collecting hundreds of life stories in all fifty states from Americans who'd been through major life changes--from losing jobs to losing loved ones; from changing careers to changing relationships; from getting sober to getting healthy to simply looking for a fresh start. He then spent a year coding these stories, identifying patterns and takeaways that can help all of us survive and thrive in times of change. What Feiler discovered was a world in which transitions are becoming more plentiful and mastering the skills to manage them is more urgent for all of us. The idea that we'll have one job, one relationship, one source of happiness is hopelessly outdated. We all feel unnerved by this upheaval. We're concerned that our lives are not what we expected, that we've veered off course, living life out of order. But we're not alone. Life Is in the Transitions introduces the fresh, illuminating vision of the nonlinear life, in which each of us faces dozens of disruptors. One in ten of those becomes what Feiler calls a lifequake, a massive change that leads to a life transition. The average length of these transitions is five years. The upshot: We all spend half our lives in this unsettled state. You or someone you know is going through one now. The most exciting thing Feiler identified is a powerful new tool kit for navigating these pivotal times. Drawing on his extraordinary trove of insights, he lays out specific strategies each of us can use to reimagine and rebuild our lives, often stronger than before. From a master storyteller with an essential message, Life Is in the Transitions can move readers of any age to think deeply about times of change and how to transform them into periods of creativity and growth.

You can have a successful career and be the dad you want to be. Finally, we've moved past the days when providing for your family meant taking a backseat role in your children's lives. Still, many of us aren't finding the support and flexibility we need, and the time-management challenge of performing at work while being a present dad at home can feel impossible. Advice for Working Dads will help you balance and integrate your career and fatherhood, navigate always-on work cultures, and find success and fulfillment in one of the toughest&#8212and most important&#8212jobs you’ll ever take on. You'll learn to:Set reasonable expectations and limitsCarve out quality time for family, even when you're at your busiestStay true to yourself, your friends, and your personal interestsCommunicate better with your spouse or partner about careers, parenting, and choresModel your work and life values for your childrenThe HBR Working Parents Series with Daisy Dowling, Series Editor, supports readers as you anticipate challenges, learn how to advocate for yourself more effectively, juggle your impossible schedule, and find fulfillment at home and at work. Whether you're up with a newborn or planning the future with your teen, you'll find the practical tips, strategies, and research you need to make working parenthood work for you.

Stop juggling and start managing everything you need to do at home and at work. It used to be simple before kids: Say yes to everything, stay late, turn in flawless work, catch up on sleep later. But now you need a different mindset to succeed at work, as a parent, and as a family member. Getting It All Done can't teach you to be in two places at once, but it provides you with expert advice as you manage the challenges of succeeding at work while making sure your family is housed, fed, healthy, safe, and educated. You'll learn to:Delegate, enlist the help you need, and say no to taking on morePut your management skills to work outside the officeGet more work done with kids at homeMove on with resilience when you drop the ballNavigate the chaos during the busiest times at work and at homeThe HBR Working Parents Series with Daisy Dowling, Series Editor, supports readers as you anticipate challenges, learn how to advocate for yourself more effectively, juggle your impossible schedule, and find fulfillment at home and at work. Whether you're up with a newborn or planning the future with your teen, you'll find the practical tips, strategies, and research you need to make working parenthood work for you.

Tips, stories, and strategies for the job that never ends. When it comes to being a working parent, there are no right answers to the tough questions you grapple with, from how to get your toddler out the door to supporting your teen through struggles with their peers to whether or not to accept that big promotion&#8212and the extensive travel and long hours that come with it. But there are answers that are right for you and your family. The HBR Working Parents Series Collection assembles the ideas and strategies you need to help you get ahead&#8212and get through the day. Included in this set are Managing Your Career, Getting It All Done, and Taking Care of Yourself. This compilation offers insights and practical advice from world-class experts on the topics that matter most to working parents including making decisions at home and at work that align with your priorities; navigating tradeoffs&#8212and managing the feelings that come with them; developing strategies for managing both the details of your day and the long-term view of your career; finding time for personal development; and making career choices that work for you&#8212and your family. The HBR Working Parents Series with Daisy Dowling, Series Editor, supports readers as you anticipate challenges, learn how to advocate for yourself more effectively, juggle your impossible schedule, and find fulfillment at home and at work. Whether you're up with a newborn or planning the future with your teen, you'll find the practical tips, strategies, and research you need to make working parenthood work for you.

Stop juggling and start managing everything you need to do at home and at work. It used to be simple before kids: Say yes to everything, stay late, turn in flawless work, catch up on sleep later. But now you need a different mindset to succeed at work, as a parent, and as a family member. Getting It All Done can't teach you to be in two places at once, but it provides you with expert advice as you manage the challenges of succeeding at work while making sure your family is housed, fed, healthy, safe, and educated. You'll learn to:Delegate, enlist the help you need, and say no to taking on morePut your management skills to work outside the officeGet more work done with kids at homeMove on with resilience when you drop the ballNavigate the chaos during the busiest times at work and at homeThe HBR Working Parents Series with Daisy Dowling, Series Editor, supports readers as you anticipate challenges, learn how to advocate for yourself more effectively, juggle your impossible schedule, and find fulfillment at home and at work. Whether you're up with a newborn or planning the future with your teen, you'll find the practical tips, strategies, and research you need to make working parenthood work for you.

Now a major US primetime dramaThe uplifting story that touched the world and inspired families everywhere to rethink what matters most in their livesAs a young dad, Bruce Feiler, New York Times bestselling author and television host, received shattering news. A rare form of cancer was threatening not only his life but his family's future as well. A singular question emerged: Who would be there for his wife and daughters if he were gone? Feiler reached out to six extraordinary men who helped shape him and asked them to be present in the lives of his daughters. The Council of Dads is the unforgettable portrait of these men, who offer wisdom, humor, and guidance on how to live, how to love, how to question, how to dream. The source for NBC's blockbuster series, here is a singular story that offers lessons for us all-helping us draw closer to the ones we love, appreciate what's most precious, and celebrate the power of community.

Now a major NBC primetime dramaThe uplifting story that touched the world and inspired families everywhere to rethink what matters most in their livesAs a young dad, Bruce Feiler, New York Times bestselling author and television host, received shattering news. A rare form of cancer was threatening not only his life but his family's future as well. A singular question emerged: Who would be there for his wife and daughters if he were gone? Feiler reached out to six extraordinary men who helped shape him and asked them to be present in the lives of his daughters. The Council of Dads is the unforgettable portrait of these men, who offer wisdom, humor, and guidance on how to live, how to love, how to question, how to dream. The source for NBC's blockbuster series, here is a singular story that offers lessons for us all--helping us draw closer to the ones we love, appreciate what's most precious, and celebrate the power of community.

"An instant classic. . . . A pure joy to read." --Washington Post Book WorldBoth a heart-racing adventure and an uplifting quest, Walking the Bible presents one man's epic journey- by foot, jeep, rowboat, and camel- through the greatest stories ever told. From crossing the Red Sea to climbing Mount Sinai to touching the burning bush, Bruce Feiler's inspiring odyssey will forever change your view of history's most legendary events. The stories in the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Torah, come alive as Feiler searches across three continents for the stories and heroes shared by Christians and Jews. You'll visit the slopes of Mount Ararat, where Noah's ark landed, trek to the desert outpost where Abraham first heard the words of God, and scale the summit where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Using the latest archeological research, Feiler explores how physical location affects the larger narrative of the Bible and ultimately realizes how much these places, as well as his experience, have affected his faith. A once-in-a-lifetime journey, Walking the Bible offers new insights into the roots of our common faith and uncovers fresh answers to the most profound questions of the human spirit." Smart and savvy, insightful and illuminating." --Los Angeles Times"An exciting, well-told story informed by Feiler's boundless intellectual curiosity . . . and] sense of adventure." --Miami Herald

In The Secrets of Happy Families, New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler has drawn up a blueprint for modern families -- a new approach to family dynamics, inspired by cutting-edge techniques gathered from experts in the disciplines of science, business, sports, and the military. Don't worry about family dinner. Let your kids pick their punishments. Ditch the sex talk. Cancel date night. These are just a few of the surprising innovations in this bold first-of-its-kind playbook for today's families. Bestselling author and New York Times family columnist Bruce Feiler found himself squeezed between caring for aging parents and raising his children. So he set out on a three-year journey to find the smartest solutions and the most cutting-edge research about families. Instead of the usual family "experts," he sought out the most creative minds--from Silicon Valley to the set of Modern Family, from the country's top negotiators to the Green Berets--and asked them what team-building exercises and problem-solving techniques they use with their families. Feiler then tested these ideas with his wife and kids. The result is a fun, original look at how families can draw closer together, complete with 200 never-before-seen best practices. Feiler's life-changing discoveries include a radical plan to reshape your family in twenty minutes a week, Warren Buffett's guide for setting an allowance, and the Harvard handbook for resolving conflict. The Secrets of Happy Families is a timely, counterintuitive book that answers the questions countless parents are asking: How do we manage the chaos of our lives? How do we teach our kids values? How do we make our family happier? Written in a charming, accessible style, The Secrets of Happy Families is smart, funny, and fresh, and will forever change how your family lives every day.

Both a heart-racing adventure and an uplifting quest, Walking the Bible describes one man's epic odyssey--by foot, jeep, rowboat, and camel--through the greatest stories every told. From crossing the Red Sea to climbing Mount Sinai to touching the burning bush, Bruce Feiler's inspiring journey will forever change your view of some of history's most storied events.

Bestselling author and New York Times family columnist Bruce Feiler found himself squeezed between caring for ageing parents and raising his children. So he set out on a three-year journey to find the smartest ideas and the most cutting-edge research about families of all varieties, novel solutions to make his own family happier. Instead of the usual psychologists and family 'experts', he sought out the most creative minds - from Silicon Valley to the set of Modern Family, from top negotiators to the army - and asked them what team-building exercises and problem-solving techniques they use. Feiler then tested these ideas with his wife and kids. The result is a fun, completely original look at how families can draw closer together. Felier's life-changing discoveries include a radical plan to reshape your family in twenty minutes a week, Warren Buffett's guide for setting an allowance, and the Harvard handbook for resolving conflict. The Secrets of Happy Families is a timely, counterintuitive book that answers the questions countless parents are asking: how do we manage the chaos of our lives? How do we teach our kids values? How do we make our family happier? Written in a charming, accessible style, The Secrets of Happy Families is smart, funny and fresh, and will forever change how your family lives every day.