The Last Day of My Life [Hardcover]

Jim Moret (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2010

If you had 24 hours to live...Should you finally forgive the one who hurt you the most and would you find the courage to apologize to the person you wronged? Who would you remember as your life’s greatest love? Could you recognize what you are truly grateful for? Jim Moret didn’t fully understand the answers to those questions until he was literally a day away from ending his own life. This veteran television broadcaster and interviewer turns the camera on himself, taking the reader on an intimate journey. He moves beyond depression, tragedy, and self-doubt and grapples with his greatest decision: not simply whether to live but how to live. If you had only 24 hours left... what would you do?

 

“This is a marvelous collection of the right way to do things. Jim Moret’s book belongs in every library.”

                                                                                                            -Larry King

 

“I think everyone has asked the question of themselves, but very few have explored it the way Jim Moret has in this heartbreaking, heart-strengthening, universally recognizable foray into what goes into making us Whole as individuals and as people. The things that we must face in ourselves and put into balance, before we find ourselves in the darkness of no return.  So take a page from Jim’s book.  It may not be the answer, but it is certainly part of the conversation.”
                                                                                                         -Whoopi Goldberg

 

“It is simple enough to say that contemplating death teaches one to live.  Indeed, Jim Moret looked over that brink and determined that he should live.  Rarely, however, does an author take a reader through the journey that brings one so vividly to that moment. Once there, he shares with us his evolution from despair toward miracles, unforeseen adventures and most importantly the deepening of the relationships that give life its meaning.  Well done.”

-Dr. Drew Pinsky

 

“I loved this book and couldn't put it down.  Jim Moret's touching memoir is based on a wide array of life experiences ranging from the heartwarming to the heartbreaking.  This important book will definitely make a difference in your life.  Not only will it leave you with plenty to think about, you'll have a new and reliable road map for your own successful journey.  In fact, read "The Last Day of My Life" more than once...you'll be glad you did.”
                                                                                                            -J. Randy Taraborrelli

 

 

"Jim Moret's book is required reading for anyone who's ever entertained the thought of being happy."                                                                                          -Alan Zweibel

                                                          Saturday Night Live writing alum and Thurber Prize winner

 

"Jim Moret’s The Last Day of My Life easily could have been titled Tuesdays with Moret.  It's that kind of book --powerful, inspirational and memorable.  Everyone who reads it will emerge stronger and smarter. Period."                                          

-Wolf Blitzer, CNN Anchor, The Situation Room

 

“In THE LAST DAY OF MY LIFE, Jim Moret discovers that it is our connections with people, not the things we acquire, that are the true riches in life. Jim’s moving personal journey delivers a road map for anyone struggling with self doubt.”

                                                                     &nbs

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Amidst accelerating personal, professional, and financial crises, L.A. journalist Moret was seriously contemplating suicide; he pulled through by seizing on the question of his last day-what would he cherish most?-as an opportunity to rediscover the beauty, love and value in his life. Devoting each of 24 chapters to a topic like sacrifice, tenacity, laughter, music, passion and wonder, Moret draws lessons from stories about friends and family, his childhood, personal obstacles, and his career at CNN and elsewhere. Moret's smooth journalistic prose and 24-hour checklist make this a swift, focused inspirational memoir.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

From Publishers Weekly

Amidst accelerating personal, professional, and financial crises, L.A. journalist Moret was seriously contemplating suicide; he pulled through by seizing on the question of his last day-what would he cherish most?-as an opportunity to rediscover the beauty, love and value in his life. Devoting each of 24 chapters to a topic like sacrifice, tenacity, laughter, music, passion and wonder, Moret draws lessons from stories about friends and family, his childhood, personal obstacles, and his career at CNN and elsewhere. Moret's smooth journalistic prose and 24-hour checklist make this a swift, focused inspirational memoir. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 161 pages
• Publisher: Phoenix (January 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1607477017
• ISBN-13: 978-1607477013
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #777,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational and an easy read!, November 1, 2009

By 

LMS "Book worm" (WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Last Day of My Life (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I received this book in the mail. But I was intrigued by the description on the back cover. So I decided to order it through Amazon Vine. I'm really glad I did. This little book is a very fast read.

The author has fallen into a deep depression and begins to question his life. He is no longer sure if he even wants to go on living. Planning a suicide in his mind triggers a time of intense soul-searching and introspection. He looks back over the course of his life and zeros on on the things that really matter. The stories in this book are intimate. Most of them are about close friends, family and other personal experiences. The author finally realizes that it's the people in our lives who truly matter most. Some of them may only be in our lives for a short time, but can leave a long-lasting impact on the heart and life. The author also comes to believe that it's not status, money, or possessions that lead to lasting happiness. It is possible to have all these things and still be miserable. This book is chocked full of practical wisdom and is peppered with quotes from famous people through out. I could definitely relate to a lot of what the author shared and struggled with. The struggles the author discusses in this book are universal to all people. This is a very thought-provoking book and it will show you how to be grateful for the little things in life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is going through a difficult time or has given up hope. Life is too short to waste what little time we have on things that ultimately won't matter. Ultimately, this is a book of hope.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the last day but a fresh start, November 24, 2009

By 

A. Hudson "papillon_lover" (GSO) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Day of My Life (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I was very interested in reading this book. I have never heard of the author but the subject matter piqued my interest. I think many people have found themselves at one point and time thinking their life would be better if they just ended it. I think we all suffer from depression at one point in time such as the author has. But what one chooses to do with life when faced with those thoughts is up to each of us. Jim Moret was brave enough to write about his experiences and how he dealt with them. I think you have to be connected with such issues and I found it very inspiring rather than depressing.

I was very drawn to this book and could not put it down. From reading it you would think the author has everything one could want in his life -- a great job, life, family, home, you name it. From the outside looking in, people probably did not think there were any problems. However that changed. He lets you know that from the inside looking out his life was not going the way he wanted it to. He had plans to end his life. It was not just a thought he had once but battled with for some time. Instead of asking himself what if he had never lived he asked himself what if he had one day left to life? With that he took an appreciation for life and everything around it.

While the author shares his life with you in a way you can actually visualize it, I felt the same thoughts and emotions at times he had running through his mind. Rather than ending his life and deciding to actually live it he still faced and dealt with a lot of problems. But in the end he found different ways to deal with the life he was given. If you ever felt life was not worth living, please pick this up. Truly a very brave man!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Supposedly Inspirational Book Is Mostly Depressing, March 18, 2011

By 

Mediaman "TVviewer" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Day of My Life (Hardcover)

This book is supposed to be an inspirational read about living like it's the last day of your life, but instead it is filled with depressing stories that lead to few lessons and much despair. The author, who is a very good TV reporter, has some serious family issues and suffered much in life. He was forced to choose his mother over his famous father James Darren at age 13, his childhood best friend died at 18, his famous father refused to attend his wedding and caused a huge rift, his adult best friend died at when Moret was 38, his co-worker dies in a helicopter crash, etc., etc., etc.

It's story after story of tragedy. Just when you think things will get positive, things turn bad again. He had marriage problems, quits his CNN job instead of moving to Atlanta, then stays in his multimillion dollar house even though he can't afford it and spends years out of work and in deep debt. He makes a lot of bad choices and the lessons he claims to learn are more internal than external. It's good that he has learned to forgive and that he needs redemption, but the specific examples he gives of what he does externally continue to prolong his negative spin on his life.

Other than a couple of interesting pages about famous people he interviewed, there is little to recommend in this book.

It's great that he chose not to end his life and turn it into a desire to tell others to live like it's their last day. But the book is incredibly depressing to read. Thankfully it's a short 159 half-pages and takes only a couple hours to read--if you can make it past all the tragedy to get to his supposedly inspiring advice at the end. I really feel for this guy--but he still doesn't seem to have found the peace he is looking for.