In the past, I've explained it this way: "'Parachute' is a book of hope, masquerading as a job-hunting manual." People want hope. They also want a book to be different. Mine certainly is: the illustrations, the diagrams, the exercises. Also, some of my impudent humor is in the book. If you can't laugh at something, no matter how difficult and serious it seems, you've lost a precious part of your humanity. But I must admit, after all is said and done, I'm still astonished that a book published 30 years ago is still a best-seller today.

What about generational differences? Do they play a role in how people respond to the book?

I don't think so. I was in Los Angeles recently, having lunch with a friend. I learned that one of the hostesses at the restaurant had just moved to la from Connecticut. So I got a copy of my book and gave it to her. Another hostess was on the phone, and when she saw the book in my hand, she said, "I love that book, I love that book! Why are you giving her that book?" I said, "I'm the author." She hung up the phone, and with great excitement she told me that the book was part of her family's history. Her grandfather had read the book. He then gave it to her father on her parents' wedding day. And her father has now given it to each of his children, including her. Every age can use it, it seems.

You mentioned that it's human nature to avoid rejection. Over the last 30 years, what else have you learned about human nature, as it relates to work or the job hunt?

People don't just want to keep busy at work. Maybe that was enough when they were younger, but not as they grow older. They want a sense of mission in life -- and a sense of mission about their work.

What stands in the way of people finding their mission?

Prior agendas. For example, my wife, Carol, is a well-known career counselor in her own right. She was meeting with a client who worked in the rubber industry -- let's call him George. George told her in their first session, "I've got to get out of the rubber industry." So she gave him some homework to do before their next session. He came back the next week, and he hadn't done a lick of the homework. My wife, rich with intuition, asked him, "What will happen if you don't get out of the rubber industry?" George said, "My wife will divorce me." Carol said, "Do you want your wife to divorce you?" He couldn't keep the smile off of his face. She knew then that he would never change his job until it had given him what he wanted: a divorce, with his wife taking the initiative -- and the guilt. Based on his behavior, my wife named this "the doctrine of the prior agenda." You can't help people change or find their mission when they have a conflicting prior agenda.

You're a religious man. Some people have criticized you for including religious references in your book. What do you say to them?

I'd like to say to them, "I've been an ordained priest for 45 years! Why should you be surprised that I talk about God?" But I prefer a more practical answer: I point out that religion, God, or faith is mentioned on only five pages in the book, except for an appendix at the end. Those who find that to be "too much religion" need to look elsewhere for guidance in the job hunt.

Besides, even in the new economy -- perhaps especially in the new economy -- aren't there many connections between work and faith?

Yes. And so it has always been. "Vocation," for example, means "to be called," which implies that Someone has called you. "Mission" means "to be sent," which implies that Someone has sent you. The implied Someone, of course, is God. To explore the job hunt deeply, in its language and its history, is to end up in the land of faith.

Contributing Editor Daniel H. Pink (dan@freeagentnation.com) is finishing a book on the free-agent economy. You can reach Richard Nelson Bolles via the Web (www.jobhuntersbible.com).

Sidebar: Here's how to Pack Your Parachute

The following adaptation from Richard Bolles's "What Color Is Your Parachute?" demonstrates what has changed -- and what hasn't changed -- in the art and science of looking for a job that suits your interests and skills.

The Five Best Ways to Find a Job

1. Ask for job leads from family members, friends, people in the community, and staff at career centers. Ask them this one simple question: Do you know of any jobs in my field? That method has a 33% success rate.

2. Knock on the doors of any employers, factories, or offices that interest you, whether or not they have vacancies. That method has a 47% success rate.

3. Use the Yellow Pages to identify areas that interest you in or near the town or city where you live and then call the employers in that field to find out whether they are hiring for the position that you can do -- and do well. That method has a 69% success rate.