Customer Reviews

Maybe (Maybe Not) (Maybe Not : Second Thoughts from a Secret Life)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really liked Fulghum's casual, laid-back style of writing. "Maybe (Maybe Not)" was a very easy, fun, quick read. He's very optimistic and upbeat and tries to convey his outlook on life to his audience. He's got a lot of great thoughts from totally different areas of life. He only spends a couple of pages on one topic and moves on to something completely different. He's got a really good sense of humor and unlike most self-help type of books, he's not preachy in the least bit. Really enjoyable and highly recommended!

Robert Fulghum is the master of telling complex stories in a simple, down-home manner. As such, I think I'd be paying him tribute most effectively if I kept this review simple. Suffice to say, if you've read and enjoyed other books by Mr. Fulghum, you'll definitely enjoy this one. By all means, read it. Read it more than once! You won't regret it!

I've read and/or listened to all of Fulghum's books. This book lives up to his high standard of reading enjoyment and prys open one's introspect. Like most of his books, they end too soon.

A nice light read. I didn't always agree with his thoughts, but I usually did. Books like this always make me want to write my own book. I read it and think, "Hey - maybe someone would want to read my opinions and observations too!" Clean, and family friendly.

This is one of the best books I have read in the last months! Many daily situations that you have with yourself are present. May be or may be not you will love it, but I am sure you will ever remeber many funny situations in your real life. Try it. It is cheap, easy for reading, good for our spiritual side...

This book was a joy to read. It was quick reading, humorous at times, thought provoking at others.

If you like Robert Fulghum's other books you'll really enjoy this book. If you haven't read Robert try his first best seller 'All I needed to know I learned in Kindergarden' It's his best work and will give you an idea of how enjoyable this guy's views and stories on life are to read.

I've made no secret that I'm a fan of Robert Fulghum's writing style. He was a 'blogger' before blogging got big, in that he tells snippets of his life in short essay story-form, much like many bloggers do now, only he does it in such a compelling way, his is worthy of print publication. I have aspired in my life to write like him when I write personal essays--not so much to write LIKE him, per se, but rather, to write in a manner that makes people think, that reaches deeper than the surface of what the writing appears to be about. That's the thing that gets me about his writing: It's short and poignant, and those who don't want to seek deeper meaning can enjoy it, but at the same time, those who take the time to read deeper can get more out of it. It reaches all sorts of people on different levels. That's talent. I love his voice.

In this book, Maybe (Maybe Not), we get to laugh at some antics from his time on the church board and while working in a high school. The high school stories are some of my favorite. I loved the story about the Ape and the Naked Lady! I laughed through the whole thing. I loved so many of these stories in this book that while we were traveling in the car, I had to read them to my family out loud, and they were so engrossed in them that they wanted me to continue reading them when we arrived home.

The final story brought a tear to my eye while I was reading. I won't talk about it here as to not spoil it, but that story alone is worth reading.

Another thing I love about reading Mr. Fulghum is the fact he's a minister (or at least was, or maybe still is?)--but he's also 'real'. He's made some comments that make me laugh, such as one line in this book where he's talking about a bible story and says something along the lines of: The Lord doesn't come off looking too good in this one... Because sometimes I have thought that about bible stories too! It's nice to know a minister can feel that way just as much as a 'normal' person can!

There's also a great fishing tale that I giggled all the way through!

With these small essays, humorous anecdotes, poignant stories, and Mr. Fulghum's wit and insight, this book is worth picking up and reading. Because of the short essay style, it makes it an easy read in between waiting for doctor appointments, bathroom breaks, or any time you have a few minutes to take a break to read a short when you can't spend the time to read an entire book. If you haven't read Fulghum, it's time to pick one up and get started! His writing will leave you thinking!

I found this book helped me pass the time excellently. I tend to agree with the authors general viewpoint of life. No doubt Fulghum approaches his storytelling from the point of view of a teacher. Each story leaves the reader feeling imbued with another of life's truths. I guess I should say that I am now a big fan, but it was this book that started it off.

Perhaps there is a purpose to this book that I was not made aware of, or maybe some of Fulghum's other books are required reading to comprehend the essence of his meaning; otherwise, this book proved to be nothing more than inane thoughts on tedious topics providing minimal interest. As a self professed philosopher, one would expect Fulghum to have presented at least some profound content among his thoughts; instead, we are presented with his views on why addresses are required on so many forms, where he thinks he might have been conceived, and various other haphazard topics with as much correlation as a grade school paper.

Since these are just Fulghum's thoughts on random topics, why should I have interest in what he has to say? What does Fulghum offer that I would not hear from any vocal person with more interest in hearing him/herself speak than providing intriguing reflection? I had anticipated discovering the answers to such questions would be that Fulghum, being a "philosopher" (to which there is doubt), might provide intriguing wisdom. I was sorely disappointed to discover nothing among this book that offers value or interest beyond common average chatter.

I do not mean to be overly harsh and I certainly hold no negative feelings toward the author; however, unless the alternative to reading this book amounts to staring into space, I would not advise wasting a moment on these one-dimensional observations.