This book is about a group of people who became human service professionals. They were poverty lawyers, public health nurses, high school teachers, social workers, and psychologists. They wanted to serve others, and they began their careers with enthusiasm and commitment, caring and compassion. I originally studied these professionals during their first year of practice. Using in-depth interviews, i learned about the stresses they experienced as their idealism collided with the realities of public schools, legal aid clinics, and mental health centers. I witnessed how, in response to these stresses, they lost much of their idealism and commitment. The study became an examination of early career burnout.