An Hour to Live, an Hour to Love: The True Story of the Best Gift Ever Given [Hardcover]

Richard Carlson (Author), Kristine Carlson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 18, 2007

If you had one hour to live and could make just one phone call, who would you call? What would you say? Why are you waiting? Richard Carlson's sudden, tragic death in December 2006 left his millions of fans reeling, but even their many letters, calls, and emails couldn't erase the loss felt by his wife, Kristine. To try and come to terms with her loss, she pored over 25 years of love letters, reliving the memories and cherishing her late husband's memory. But one letter stood out. Richard had written to his wife on their 18th wedding anniversary and attempted to answer the question: if you had one hour to live, what would you do, who would you call, and what would you say? An Hour to Live, An Hour to Love is a profoundly moving book that shows the importance of treasuring each day as the incredible gift it is.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

On their 18th wedding anniversary, in 2003, Richard Carlson (author of the bestselling Don't Sweat the Small Stuff) presented his wife, Kristine, with a short manuscript called An Hour to Live. He imagines he has an hour to live and poses questions originally asked by spiritual guide and author Stephen Levine: whom would you call? what would you say? and why are you waiting? Uncannily, the text foreshadowed Carlson's death three years later, at age 45, of a pulmonary embolism. Though he had no chance to make that last phone call, his wife (and the reader) already knows his feelings for her and their children. We also know what was important to him, which boils down to the old chestnut: no one, on their deathbed, ever wishes they'd spent more time at the office. Included in the book is Kristine's tribute to Richard, called An Hour to Love. Both pieces (only 50 pages and padded with Richard's favorite poem and blank pages for the reader's own answer to the key question) are heartfelt—and oddly unengaging. They tell the reader how wonderful the Carlsons' marriage was, but don't show why. We are left with a lovely ideal—too ideal for readers to relate to. (Jan. 15)
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Review

"An Hour to Live, an Hour to Love is a genuine love story and a moving reminder that in the midst of our busyness, our lives revolve around a few irreplaceable human beings. Reading these poignant pages made me stop in my tracks, hug my husband, call my daughter, and pet my cat." -- Victoria Moran, author of Creating a Charmed Life

"Richard and Kristine Carlson write with such vulnerability, clarity, compassion, and depth that it touched every fiber of our hearts. This awesome book will ignite the spiritual core in all that are fortunate enough to choose to read and bathe in it." -- Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., and Diane V. Cirincione, Ph.D., authors of Finding Our Way Home

"When our true love departs, there is an absence left in their wake not unlike the circles expanding from a mountain pulled from the sea. But love never dies, and can even grow on either side of the river." -- Stephen Levine, author of A Year to Live

"Richard Carlson, so beloved to many of us, writes to his own true love from a place somewhere between life and death. The love with which he writes to her, and the love with which she answers, provide a teaching for all of us: on life, on death, and on the existence of a spirit that transcends them both." -- Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love and The Age of Miracles

"Together Richard and Kris Carlson have given us the gift of eternal love, the secret to sharing it and keeping it alive." -- Joe Bailey, author of Fearproof Your Life and Slowing Down to the Speed of Life (co-author, Richard Carlson)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; First Edition edition (December 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401322573
• ISBN-13: 978-1401322571
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 7.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #507,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Self-Help > Relationships > Friendship

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

108 of 110 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A sad yet uplifting read January 6, 2008

By Z Hayes HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Richard Carlson, author of the "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" series of books died prematurely of a pulmonary embolism at age 45. I have loved his books since reading them years ago - they have always had the ability to inspire and motivate me when life got me down. In this book, 'An Hour to Live, an Hour to Love", we get to read Richard's love letter to his wife on their 18th anniversary, which basically entreats one to live life to the fullest and be in the moment, treasuring our time with the people that truly matter to us, and Kristine's response to it.It is an uplifting, inspiring read not just for those who are grieving over the loss of a loved one, but for those of us who feel the need to get off the conveyor belt of a hectic existence and live life to its fullest, amongst the people who love us.

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching, interspective book December 29, 2007

By D. Demro

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

After seeing the author on Oprah and hearing the story behind this book and the author's husband's sudden death (Richard Carlson - author of New York Times' Best Seller "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff") I knew I had to read this book. I ordered it immediately and just finished reading it.... what a beautiful, well-written book emphasizing the importance of living every day of our life as though it were our last. A nice, easy-to-read, one-sitting book that will really give you pause to think about your own life and what you can maybe do differently to get the most out of living. Thank you Kristine for sharing such a personal part of you life with others. You are truly a blessed woman to have had the time you did with such an amazing man. I will cherish this book greatly. God Bless!

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Eye-Opening and Heart-Warming Read January 15, 2008

By M. Lizar

Format:Hardcover

I just received this book in the mail tonight, opened it up, and read the entire thing without setting it down. It has been one of the most touching, beautiful, inspiring pieces I have ever read. Who wouldn't live their life differently if they paused and saw their life from the end? Unfortunately, by the time most people get that glimpse, it is too late. We are living in a blind world, where people run non-stop with their heads down, chasing the wind. People don't know what really matters. This book is a gift -- a "pause" to stop and realize what really matters. I am grateful to have been given this pause at such a young age, when the vast majority don't get it until their lives have already been lived. Thank you, Kristine, for sharing this with us. God bless you -- you are in my prayers.