Anyone can be taught how to be, do or have whatever they want (within reason), contends consultant and personal coach Boldt in this extensively revised and updated version of his Manifest Your Destiny: Life Planning with a Punch
(1984). Employing the same approach as in his 1991 classic, Zen and the Art of Making a Living, he offers a mix of inspiration, philosophy and how-to in a step-by-step format that entails creating a vision, committing to it, following through and periodically evaluating one's progress. Rooting his concepts in common sense and clear language, Boldt illustrates them with bracing quotations, graphics, related questions and exercises (including examples of how Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo might have responded to them). As in his other books, readers can dive into the chapters in any order that dovetails with their goals, skills and interest level. Those familiar with Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way books will find Boldt's daily log and "manifestation journal" familiar, while those who have read widely in the genre will find his approach to topics like visualization, overcoming fear, and sharpening one's focus and decision making reminiscent of Barbara Sher's Wishcraft, Susan Jeffers's Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
and Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Agent, Peter Beren. (May)
Forecast:Though some may be turned off by the Psych 101 textbook tone, readers who find that creativity books like
The Artist's Way push them to fly without a net will find comfort in Boldt's clear, grounded prose and pedestrian approach. This won't match the numbers of his
Zen and the Art of Making a Living, but should backlist respectably, with the help of a seven-city author tour.
