The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography in 201 Questions [Hardcover]

David Marshall (Author), Carl Marshall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 1997

A keepsake fill-in book contains more than two hundred prompts divided into three life phases--Early, Middle, and Later Years--and separates each phase into five subject categories--Family, Friends, Education, Work/Responsibilities, and The World.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Strong is the urge to write one's life story as a keepsake for oneself and one's family. The difficulty is knowing where to start, and then where to go from there. Carl and David Marshall, a grandfather-grandson team, have created a fine and fun do-it-yourself autobiography. The cover of the journal-sized Book of Myself is intended to resemble handmade paper; the inside pages have the yellowed hue of a keepsake found in a musty attic trunk. The book is not especially pretty. But the questions--one per page, divided into early, middle, and late years, and then again into sections concerning family, friends, education, work and responsibilities, and the world--are good enough that it hardly matters. Among the 201 jumping-off points included here are questions concerning childhood toys, crushes, and forbidden exploits; adult embarrassments, betrayals, and achievements; and how one's views change over the years. --Jane Steinberg

About the Author

Carl Marshall was a professor of mathematics at Oklahoma State University, and created the university’s graduate program in statistics. The Book of Myself is based on his own experience in writing his life story. David Marshall is also the coauthor, with his wife, Kate, of The Book of Us: A Journal of Your Love Story in 150 Questions. He lives with his family in northern California. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (January 2, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786862505
• ISBN-13: 978-0786862504
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #867,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Self-Help > Journal Writing

More About the Author

I am from Texas, grew up in Chicago, and have lived in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Denver, Mexico City, Munich, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I retired from the software business in 2006 and am now devoting myself full-time to books and writing. I am Vice President, Editorial and Digital for Berrett-Koehler, a non-fiction book publisher with the mission of creating a world that works for all. I also write prompted journals to foster deeper family communication. The Book of Myself, A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography, which I wrote with my grandfather Carl Marshall, was my first book and has sold over 350,000 copies. I have also co-authored Picture of Me, What I Love About You, The Book of Us, and The Book of My Pet with my wife Kate. In total, our books have sold over 650,000 copies. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can find out more about our books at http://www.marshallbooks.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

107 of 111 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Its size is a problem, January 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography in 201 Questions (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my grandmother after carefully reviewing several other autobiographical writing aides. I have to admit I was disappointed when I received the book. The questions are good, but the book itself is very small. If I'd noticed the dimensions of the book that are listed near its photo, I might not have purchased it. Each of the 201 questions gets one side of one page for answering, and the pages are roughly 5x8". It is almost impossible to imagine that the kind of rich, detail-laden anecdotes we hope for (and that we want to pass on for generations) when we give this as a gift could fit in the space provided. Though not ideal, I ended up buying a small notebook for my grandmother, along with the book, that she can continue her answers in.

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is monumental...it's a novel waiting to happen!, March 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography in 201 Questions (Hardcover)

I gave this book to my grandmother with a note that said "I bought this book for you because I want the generations of our bloodline to come to know that you were a wonderful, generous woman, who knew how to live life to it's fullest." She loved both the book and the note so much she cried! She also went out and bought a few more to give to aother family members as gifts. She wrote in it and gave it to me, and I drank up every word she wrote. I learned about her trials and tribulations, I learned about family members I never had the pleasure of knowing...but got to know well throughout this book. It gave me an idea about where I came from, and I even noticed some similarities in personality and interests with my grandmother. This is a wonderful book for any occasion. Definitly 2 thumbs up!

72 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars In Desperate Need of an Update, November 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography in 201 Questions (Hardcover)

Advantages: This autobiographic journal is affordable and omits uncouth, private questions that have dissuaded me from purchasing other journals. For example, one's sex life is not addressed in this book, but is included in another life journal, "All About Me." "The Book of Myself" makes a great gift for grandparents, parents, & older relatives or friends.

Disadvantages: Tailored more for older folks. For instance, the book solicits responses to "my memories of World War II, "inquires how Pearl Harbor shaped a person's life, your whereabouts during JFK's assassination & the 1st moon landing.