From Publishers Weekly
The late Viktor Frankl's hopeful Man's Search for Meaning emerged from his experience in a Nazi concentration camp. With Frankl's blessing, Pattakos, a cofounder of the Innovation Group consultancy and a former professor of public and business administration, applies Frankl's lessons to corporate America's workplaces. Logotherapy, Frankl's therapeutic approach, says we are free to respond to all aspects of our destiny; Pattakos argues that if we all have a will to meaning, then even if we work for unenlightened companies, we can still "connect meaningfully with others" within the workplace. Finding your sense of humor, giving to others and forgiving, and "de-reflecting" (or shifting your focus of attention) are all strategies for connection; one should consider "ten positive things" when losing a job or taking a pay cut. Pattakos ends each chapter with a "Meaning Moment" and a "Meaning Question," which can seem contrived (how exactly is your work like a "mission"?) and a lot of the advice will feel like familiar workplace etiquette that has been rebranded. Still, Pattakos's is a humane approach that allows for purpose in even the most purposeless-seeming environments, which is surely palliative care—if not a cure—for work ruts. The foreword is by The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People author Stephen R. Covey. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Book News, Inc.
Drawing on the work of psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who wrote about finding a reason to live in the Nazi concentration camps, Pattakos applies the tenets of logotherapy to the workplace. He offers seven principles to help employees to deal with work challenges and achieve their potential by reshaping old patterns of thinking. Pattakos, founder of the Center for Personal Meaning in Santa Fe, NM, writes: "The transformation of work in the 21st century is, in many respects, a call for humanity--a new consciousness that suggests more than simply trying to strike a balance between our work and our personal life. It is a call to honor our own individuality and fully engage our human spirit at work--wherever that may be."Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Dr. Patti Havenga Coetzer, Founder, Viktor Frankl Foundation of South Africa
"Viktor Frankl's principles and methods have at last been set free to be used and enjoyed in the work situation."
Dee Hock, Founder and CEO, Visa; Author, Birth of the Chaordic Age
"Those who seek meaning in work and life will find much value in this practical application of Viktor Frankl's wisdom."
Publisher's Weekly, November 15, 2004
"Pattakos's is a humane approach that allows for purpose in even the most purposeless-seeming environments."
Dr. Franz J. Vesely, Director of Documentation, Viktor Frankl Institute, Vienna, Austria
"A unique blend of erudition and creativity. Immensely readable."
Alan M. Webber, Founding Editor, Fast Company
"In bringing Viktor Frankl into the workplace, Pattakos has produced a thoughtful and powerful guide that offers insight and wisdom."
Alan M. Webber, Founding Editor, Fast Company
"In bringing Viktor Frankl into the workplace, Pattakos has produced a thoughtful and powerful guide that offers insight and wisdom."
Dr. Franz J. Vesely, Director of Documentation, Viktor Frankl Institute, Vienna, Austria
"A unique blend of erudition and creativity. Immensely readable."
Book Description
This timely book expands on Viktor Frankl's seminal Man's Search for Meaning, examining the book's concepts in depth and widening the market for them by introducing an entirely new way to look at work and the workplace. Alex Pattakos, a former colleague of Frankl's, brings the search for meaning at work within the grasp of every reader using simple, straightforward language. The author distills Frankl's ideas into seven core principles: Exercise the freedom to choose your attitude; Realize your will to meaning; Detect the meaning of life's moments; Don't work against yourself; Look at yourself from a distance; Shift your focus of attention; and Extend beyond yourself. By demonstrating how Dr. Frankl's key principles can be applied to all kinds of work situations, Prisoners of Our Thoughts opens up new opportunities for finding personal meaning and living an authentic work life.
About the Author
Alex Pattakos, Ph.D., is a principal of The Innovation Group, and founder of the Center for Personal Meaning, based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has been a full-time professor of public and business administration, including serving as a graduate program head. He is also a past president of Renaissance Business Associates (RBA), a nonprofit, international association of people committed to integrity in business and elevating the human spirit in the workplace. He is the co-editor/co-author of the book Intuition at Work: Pathways to Unlimited Possibilities.
Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles at Work FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Alex Pattakos, Ph.D., a dedicated student of Frankl's thought, was urged by Frankl himself to write this book. In it, Pattakos draws on the entire body of Frankl's work (he wrote more than 30 books), illustrating his philosophy through seven easy-to-understand principles." Through stories, examples, and thought-provoking exercises, Pattakos illustrates how you can apply each of these principles to various work situations and everyday life.
SYNOPSIS
Drawing on the work of psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who wrote about finding a reason to live in the Nazi concentration camps, Pattakos applies the tenets of logotherapy to the workplace. He offers seven principles to help employees to deal with work challenges and achieve their potential by reshaping old patterns of thinking. Pattakos, founder of the Center for Personal Meaning in Santa Fe, NM, writes: "The transformation of work in the 21st century is, in many respects, a call for humanity—a new consciousness that suggests more than simply trying to strike a balance between our work and our personal life. It is a call to honor our own individuality and fully engage our human spirit at work—wherever that may be." Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
The late Viktor Frankl's hopeful Man's Search for Meaning emerged from his experience in a Nazi concentration camp. With Frankl's blessing, Pattakos, a cofounder of the Innovation Group consultancy and a former professor of public and business administration, applies Frankl's lessons to corporate America's workplaces. Logotherapy, Frankl's therapeutic approach, says we are free to respond to all aspects of our destiny; Pattakos argues that if we all have a will to meaning, then even if we work for unenlightened companies, we can still "connect meaningfully with others" within the workplace. Finding your sense of humor, giving to others and forgiving, and "de-reflecting" (or shifting your focus of attention) are all strategies for connection; one should consider "ten positive things" when losing a job or taking a pay cut. Pattakos ends each chapter with a "Meaning Moment" and a "Meaning Question," which can seem contrived (how exactly is your work like a "mission"?) and a lot of the advice will feel like familiar workplace etiquette that has been rebranded. Still, Pattakos's is a humane approach that allows for purpose in even the most purposeless-seeming environments, which is surely palliative care-if not a cure-for work ruts. The foreword is by The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People author Stephen R. Covey. (Nov.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Art & Photography
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