Helping people change lives

JIM DONOVAN

Age: 57

Personal: Lives in Buckingham, Bucks County, with wife, Georgia.

Education: Barely graduated from high school in Staten Island, N.Y., where he grew up.

What he does: Writes books and gives lectures aimed at helping people change their lives for the better - as he did.

His qualifications: Addictive behavior landed him homeless in the South Bronx and other low-down venues, hanging with winos and walking the streets, looking for cheap booze. "I was a bum," he says.

What happened: He reached his "bottom" in 1987 and went into a rehab facility. He then began reading every self-help book he could get his hands on and tried to apply their messages to his own life.

Since then: Has published six books and sold about a quarter million copies. They include "Handbook to a Happier Life," "This Is Your Life, Not a Dress Rehearsal," and "Reclaim Your Life."

Also: Does workshops, radio and TV appearances, and volunteers his time to "anyone who wants a positive message," from addicts to prisoners to shelter residents. Also writes a news letter online.

His message: You can change, as he did. "Take responsibility for your life. Stop blaming McDonald's if you're 50 pounds overweight. I offer strategies, tools you can use...."

Special interest: Young people. "Some of them feel their lives are already over, that they can't do anything, and have no future."