From Publishers Weekly
Readers who accept poet and Fortune 500 consultant Whyte's invitation to enter into "an imaginative conversation about life and work" are likely to be challenged as well as delighted by the beauty of his writing and the expansiveness of his views. Gracefully using the metaphor of a sea voyage to depict the journey through the world of work, Whyte views work not only as a means of support, but as a means for interacting with the world and developing self-expression and identity. While he draws on the philosophical underpinnings of the self-help movement aimed at finding one's "inner compass," Whyte doesn't offer the step-by-step pragmatism of other books. Instead, his approach is subtler and more organic, presenting an abundance of provocative ideas, especially on one's relationship with time and daily ritual, on the importance of dignity and ethics and on honoring the labor of one's ancestors. Interwoven with and undergirding Whyte's philosophy are passages of memoir, detailing his unique experiences as a naturalist in the Gal pagos Islands, for example, together with poetic references from Whitman, Spender, Dickinson, Rilke, Wordsworth and Whyte's own works. Even Whyte's friends are wise, as evidenced by a monk who tells him that the antidote to exhaustion is not rest but "wholeheartedness." Thoughtful readers will wholeheartedly savor this book. Agent, Ned Leavitt. (Apr. 2)Forecast: Whyte established a core audience with the much-praised The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America and through his business seminars on creativity. A six-city author tour, selection by the One Spirit Book Club and a recent excerpt in Oprah's magazine mark this as a title to watch.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
In the midst of all the arid, bullet point-ridden business books, Whyte's stands out with its languid I'll-get-to-the-point-when-I'm-damned-good-and-ready approach. A poet, corporate trainer, and author of The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America, Whyte challenges readers to remember their childhood interests and enthusiasms. He claims that this is necessary in order to escape the deadening influences of adult "musts" and "shoulds" and to recapture the passion that one needs to do good work. Whyte discusses his own career changes, from naturalist to nonprofit executive to writer/presenter/coacher. Echoing Fortgang, his main point is the popular "Do what you love and the money will follow," but he personalizes it by telling his own story and by including snippets of focused poetry (his own and others'), so that it's not as hackneyed as it may sound. Because an excerpt appeared in the March 2001 issue of O: The Oprah Magazine, there's sure to be demand in public libraries. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
This bestselling author of The Heart Aroused and internationally renowned Fortune 500 consultant explores work as an opportunity for discovering, shaping, and nurturing our deepest selves.

When our work is right for us and it gives back to the world, when we develop, as the poet William Blake said, "a firm persuasion," we feel we can move mountains. Maybe we've felt this way only for a moment, maybe some feel this way all the time, or maybe some have never felt this way. But a sense of fulfillment is possible for all of us, and David Whyte can show us how to restore it to our lives. Whyte applies the stages of a holy pilgrimage to the process of seeking identity through the unknown sea of work. These are:

• Longing for refuge
• Finding the strength to begin the journey
• Desiring growth
• Overcoming obstacles
• Avoiding distractions
• Connecting-meeting and traveling with others with a common purpose
• Helping others-a desire to bring hope and help to those left behind

We may think of family, relationships, friends, religion, or spiritual practice as the domains in which the soul is refined, in which our identities are nurtured and shaped. But we overlook the area in which we spend the majority of our time: work. As Whyte indicates, what holds us back at work is what will hold us back the longest in our life's development. Crossing the Unknown Sea illustrates how to embrace the opportunity that work provides for us to begin to inhabit fully our individuality and maximize our creativity.


Book Info
An exploration of the meaning of work to human beings as an opportunity for deep self discovery and emotional fulfillment. Offers executives a more emotional and spiritual view of what work really is and what it means in human life. Uses poetic language style, but is written in prose. Meant to help the reader identify the roots of mental and emotional growth through work.


About the Author
David Whyte is a Yorkshire-born poet and a Fortune 500 consultant. Using poetry to bring an understanding of the process of change, he has led workshops in such companies as Bristol-Myers-Squibb, American Express, Boeing, Kodak, and Toyota, helping clients to understand individual and organizational creativity and apply that understanding to vitalize and transform the workplace. In addition to his four volumes of poetry, Whyte is the author of The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Crossing the Unknown Sea shows how poetry and practicality, far from being mutually exclusive, reinforce each other to give every aspect of our lives meaning and direction. For anyone who wants to deepen their connection to their work-or find out what their life's work is-this book is essential to navigating the way.

Author Biography: David Whyte has introduced poetry into such companies as American Express, Boeing, and Toyota as a tool for understanding individual and organizational creativity. In addition to four volumes of poetry, he is the author of The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America.

FROM THE CRITICS

Washington Post

Leave it to a poet to find the poetry in the world of work.

Publishers Weekly

Readers who accept poet and Fortune 500 consultant Whyte's invitation to enter into "an imaginative conversation about life and work" are likely to be challenged as well as delighted by the beauty of his writing and the expansiveness of his views. Gracefully using the metaphor of a sea voyage to depict the journey through the world of work, Whyte views work not only as a means of support, but as a means for interacting with the world and developing self-expression and identity. While he draws on the philosophical underpinnings of the self-help movement aimed at finding one's "inner compass," Whyte doesn't offer the step-by-step pragmatism of other books. Instead, his approach is subtler and more organic, presenting an abundance of provocative ideas, especially on one's relationship with time and daily ritual, on the importance of dignity and ethics and on honoring the labor of one's ancestors. Interwoven with and undergirding Whyte's philosophy are passages of memoir, detailing his unique experiences as a naturalist in the Gal pagos Islands, for example, together with poetic references from Whitman, Spender, Dickinson, Rilke, Wordsworth and Whyte's own works. Even Whyte's friends are wise, as evidenced by a monk who tells him that the antidote to exhaustion is not rest but "wholeheartedness." Thoughtful readers will wholeheartedly savor this book. Agent, Ned Leavitt. (Apr. 2) Forecast: Whyte established a core audience with the much-praised The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America and through his business seminars on creativity. A six-city author tour, selection by the One Spirit Book Club and a recent excerpt in Oprah's magazine mark this as a title to watch. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal