No Ordinary Lives: One Man's Surprising Journey into the Heart of America [Hardcover]

David Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 9, 2002

Twenty years ago, cub re-porter David Johnson had an idea for a column: he'd pick a name at random from the telephone book and write a story on the person who answered his call. Visiting journalist Charles Kuralt overheard his plan and proclaimed it the best idea he'd ever heard-and the popular column "Everybody Has a Story" was born. Today, over 800 Americans have shared their personal stories in the pages of the Lewiston Morning Tribune, and for David Johnson, the trip of two decades has taught him lessons he never imagined. In this book, you'll meet many of the people whose perspectives changed David's life. Not only have they reminded him of life's "universal ingredients," the hopes and dreams we all share, but they've commented, each in their idiosyncratic way, on what is truly important.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This very personal book traces the story of a quirky newspaper column and the man who initiated it. Some 20 years ago, cub reporter Johnson came up with the idea of using his telephone book to make random calls to individuals across the country and interview them for his weekly newspaper column "Everyone Has a Story." Since then, over 800 people have shared their personal stories with the readers of the Lewistown Morning Tribune in Idaho. In each chapter, Johnson reflects on his own experiences to provide the frame and then draws on others' stories to illustrate what he considers the important elements of life. For example, the chapter on love opens with his own wedding night and then segues into the story of newlyweds Everett Walker, age 75, and his bride, Vivien, age 90. Their never-ending honeymoon centers on trips in their tent trailer, which provides an excellent lead-in for Johnson's humorous recounting of his own camping-trip honeymoon, during which he and his new wife left the tent behind to enjoy sleeping under the stars but found themselves huddled under a poncho in never-ending rain. Other "universal ingredients" of life that Johnson focuses on include family relations, rural lifestyles, work, religion, and daily life. The result is a tribute to the column and the surprisingly profound impact it has had on its creator and his perception of America. For public libraries.
Judy Solberg, George Washington Univ. Lib., Washington, DC
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In 1983, an unknown reporter at a small Idaho newspaper pitched an unusual idea for a weekly column: grab the phone book, pick any number, call it, write a story about whoever lives there. Two decades and more than 800 interviews later, the column, entitled "Everyone Has a Story," still runs in the Lewiston Morning Tribune. In this book--which alternates between being fascinating and moving on nearly every page--the author introduces us to some of the people he's met along the way: ordinary men and women who turn out, if you stop and listen to them for a while, to have extraordinary things to say. He also tells us one story that never ran in the newspaper: his own. Comparison to the books of Charles Kuralt is virtually automatic, but that's OK: it was Kuralt who told Johnson his column idea was a good one, and it was because he overheard Kuralt's praise that Johnson's editor gave him the go-ahead. Fans of slice-of-life journalism will welcome this new addition to the genre. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 241 pages
• Publisher: Warner Books (July 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446526398
• ISBN-13: 978-0446526395
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,527,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good writing that keeps your attention, August 15, 2004

By 

Zemekian "Mark" (Montgomery Village, Moldova, Republic of) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Ordinary Lives: One Man's Surprising Journey into the Heart of America (Hardcover)

If your dream evening is to sit at a stangers diner table to pry into their greatest victories and defeats without the fear of having to answer the same questions then this book is for you. Its a fascinating read into the lives of many obscure characters. I agree that Johnson's book reads as an autobiography with sideline stories of others (the title tells otherwise) but he does have an interesting story to tell and can tell it very well. I would'nt pay a lot of money for it but I would read it and pass it on to others looking for a few evenings as a dining room guest.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a new appreciation, October 22, 2002

By 

Andrew Cross (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Ordinary Lives: One Man's Surprising Journey into the Heart of America (Hardcover)

I read this book in just two days! It's enjoyable to read with plenty of light humor, but it also touches on deeper issues like love, family, faith, and personal loss. The author relates the lives of the people he interviews with his own life, and he shows that seemingly 'ordinary' people have something important to share with others. This book gave me a new appreciation for the people I come into contact with everyday.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyone really does have a story, July 31, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: No Ordinary Lives: One Man's Surprising Journey into the Heart of America (Hardcover)

I have been a fan of David Johnson's newspaper columns for more than 20 years, but I always viewed them as isolated stories. By collecting them in a book -- and tying them together with his own life story -- Johnson shows them as part of a larger narrative. The setting is northern Idaho but the themes -- love, family, hardship, compassion and success -- are universal.