From the Rearview Mirror is the story of Bill Milliken’s journey from an affluent Pittsburgh suburb to the streets of Harlem and the Lower East Side of New York City in the 1960s, on to communal living in Georgia in the 1970s, to working with multiple presidential administrations in Washington, D.C. He struggled with an undiagnosed learning disability in school, believing he was dumb and had nowhere to go. After connecting with the Young Life outreach program at the age of 17, however, he found his calling doing street work with homeless, addicted, and other at-risk teens in the turbulent ’60s. Bill and his colleagues founded what grew into Communities In Schools, a highly effective organization working to bring services to young people and prevent them from dropping out of school. Along the way, Bill struggled with bringing his personal life into alignment with his ideals, coming to terms with organized religion and his own spiritual path, and creating the family and community he’d always longed for.
From the Rearview Mirr:ro Reflecting on Connecting the Dots
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“Bill Milliken is a rare human being who possesses heart, wisdom, and compassion. Read From the Rearview Mirror and relish the goodness of this man.”
— Goldie Hawn, entertainer and philanthropist
“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke of the need for a dedicated circle of transformed nonconformists to offer hope to a world in crisis. Bill Milliken is one of those nonconformists who demonstrates that our small efforts to guide and invest in the next generation will pay great dividends. May we all be inspired by his life and his lessons.”
—Dr. Robert Franklin, president, Morehouse College
“Bill has gone where the heartache is—met school dropouts on rooftops and street corners and changed the way we think about public education in this country. In this book, we see where his passion comes from and how it was shaped by failure as much as success. Inspiring, courageous, and well-written!”
— Marjory Zoet Bankson, the author of The Call to the Soul and Creative Aging
“People think of me as a hip-hop pioneer and serial entrepreneur, but I’m also someone who has worked hard for many years to integrate spiritual values and practice into my everyday world and to help others do the same. It is from this perspective that I’m delighted to recommend this wonderful book by my good friend Bill Milliken.”
— Russell Simmons, producer, entrepreneur, and author
“Bill Milliken shares his 50-year journey of personal, professional, and spiritual challenge and triumph, loss and growth, hope and reconciliation. He also throws in a few miracles along the way. It’s a fascinating story of a remarkable life, and a road map for others who want to make a difference in this world.”
— Stedman Graham, best-selling author, educator, and entrepreneur
“One of the extraordinary blessings I’ve had in my life is the unique relationship I’ve had with Bill Milliken. What began as a quest to solve a critical problem in American education evolved into a spiritual journey with a selfless, wise, compassionate person who guided me to my life’s purpose. We will never know the true impact of Bill’s work. Generations of families have been saved by his prescient observations of how to ‘love a child to success.’ We talk about one-of-a-kind people in life. He truly is one of a kind.”
— Elaine Wynn, director, Wynn Resorts, and national board chair, Communities In Schools
About the Author
Bill Milliken has been a tireless advocate for disenfranchised youth and one of the foremost pioneers in the movement to connect schools with community resources to help troubled students graduate and succeed in life. In 1977, he and others developed a model organization, now known as Communities In Schools, which he served for more than 25 years as national president and currently as vice chairman of the board. Bill has advised U.S. Presidents of both political parties and has received numerous awards, including the Edward A. Smith Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership, the Champion for Children Award from the American Association of School Administrators, the National Caring Award from the Caring Institute, the Temple Award for Creative Altruism from the Institute of Noetic Sciences, the national Jefferson Award for Public Service, and an honorary doctorate from Bard College. He is the author of Tough Love; So Long, Sweet Jesus; and The Last Dropout.
Contact: founder@cisnet.org
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By Ice Drink
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
A great story about a life transformed by Jesus Christ. Bill Milliken walks the talk and his life is an illustration to us all on how we should be about being part of God's plan when we pray "thy Kingdom come.. on earth as it is in heaven".
By Michelle
Format:Paperback
Bill's life story written in "From the Rearview Mirror" is so awe-inspring that I couldn't put the book down once I started reading. It is remarkable how Bill's lifelong passion for helping at-risk children in our inner cities created one of the most powerful organizations for helping children stay in school. There are many spiritual lessons and nuggets woven within Bill's story that I can learn from and apply in my own life and calling. Bill doesn't sugar coat how challenging it can be to live out one's calling, yet his life demonstrates that God will always give us the grace to do so. A truly superb read!
Format:Paperback
"From the Rearview Mirror", by Bill Milliken, is his own true story of a man with a vision and passion to back it up. Many personal and professional obstacles stood in his during his journey but his desire to help children withstood them all. His journey begins in Harlem in the 60's and has many stops along the way, including the White House. I really enjoyed how he interwove his inner journey that coincided with the outer journey. Growing up he struggled with a learning disability, despite being very bright. This helped him to understand, and want to help, other children struggling with school. Another aspect of the book I respected was his honesty about his spiritual path. He details how he was inspired, then disillusioned, depressed, unsure, and re-inspired ( something many of us have experienced). He details the pain of being caught between two worlds, never feeling like he fit in either, something I have personally experienced. This pain drives him to create a family and community for himself. .At times, as he explains at the beginning of his book, his lack of linear thinking can get confusing. These are minor and do not affect the overall experience of the book. This is an excellent read for anyone, in particular those who enjoy memoirs or stories of overcoming great obstacles in order to achieve greatness. His years of dedication to his beliefs and drive to help children are an inspiration to us all.
I was not financially compensated for this post. I received the book from Hay House for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
I was not financially compensated for this post. I received the book from Hay House for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
