“If young adults could be guided in the right direction for a life journey of meaning and purpose, we would be grooming the leaders of tomorrow for a better world. This book is the perfect guide.” —Deepak Chopra, MD, FACP, founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing

What am I going to do for the rest of my life?

This question is familiar for young people at a turning point—whether it’s facing the end of high school, college, graduate school, or just a dead-end job. Maybe they have the degree they want but don’t know where to start their job search. Perhaps they’re still choosing a major and, given the range—from “Biochemistry” to “Adventure Education”—are lost in the options. Maybe they’re facing a mountain of debt but don’t want to get locked into a job they hate.

While other books might advise writing resumes or preparing for interviews, they only go so far. Young people want more than just another job—they want a life, and a meaningful one at that.

Enter The Big Picture. Created by the leading authority on self-help research and reviewed by over six hundred college students, Dr. Christine B. Whelan’s The Big Picture offers a guide to discovering one’s talents, dreams, and desires that can lead one to a fulfilling career but fulfilling life. It guides young people to take a step back and look at the “big picture” of who they are, what they want, and why they’re here.

Through quizzes and questionnaires which college students have vetted, Whelan guides the reader through “big picture” questions like,

• What are my talents—and how can I use those to help others and create meaning?
• How have my life experiences shaped who I am and what I can give?
• What do I value—and how can I be happy while being true to those values?

Although there are endless books on finding a job, this is the first book that presents research-based and tested material to help young people answer the question, What will I do with my life? The Big Picture provides the resources needed to find—and live—a purposeful life. An excellent gift for a graduate or a guide for yourself.

What does it mean to live a good life?

The major scriptures of the world, various schools of philosophical thought, storytellers, scientists, artists, and historians have all offered answers to this question. Surprisingly, these answers are common among nearly all sources. Famed investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton called these commonalities the “laws of life.”

Templeton gathers the best of these teachings in The Essential Worldwide Laws of Life. This handsome volume shows readers of all ages, from all parts of the world, how to make their lives more joyous and useful by learning the universal truths that transcend time and culture.

Each law is presented in an essay format, with stories, commentary, and quotations to illustrate its importance. The material is designed to inspire the reader to put these laws into practice and to enjoy the rewarding life that will result.

We all know what “WTF” usually means: it’s an exclamation of frustration, anger, and an understandable reaction to the brutal new economic realities that have hit young adults harder than any other group. WTF happened to promises of a bright future? What happened to the jobs? And what do we do now that the rules have changed?

Recent college grads were raised in a time of affluence and entitlement, lulled into thinking that a golden future would happen. Young adults with few role models to teach values like thrift, perseverance, and self-control are ill-equipped to cope with sacrifice and failure. Their dismal employment prospects are merely the most visible symptom of more significant challenges. Fortunately, it’s not too late to change course. This optimistic, reflective, and technologically savvy generation already possesses the tools to thrive—if only they learn to harness the necessary skills for success.

In Generation WTF, Christine Whelan does just that. Dr. Whelan, one of the foremost authorities on the history of the self-help genre, worked with more than one hundred young people to test and tweak the best old-school advice and personalize it for the modern twenty-something. After a decade of researching the industry—and years advising “WTFers” as they struggle to make their way in the “real world”—Dr. Whelan knows firsthand what advice works and what Generation WTF has to offer.

Rather than focusing on the frustration that “WTF” usually stands for, Dr. Whelan leads the charge to reclaim the acronym as a battle cry for a positive future: Generation WTF will be a wise, tenacious, and fearless generation, strengthened by purpose and hope. This practical new guide will show these WTFers the way to success and instill lasting habits that will serve them well in both good times and bad.