Customer Reviews

Second Innocence: Rediscovering Joy and Wonder: A Guide to Renewal in Work, Relationships, and Daily Life

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4 star:		(2)
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Second Innocence is an outstanding book about how to regain our youthful enthusiasm . . . seasoned with our greater knowledge of how to be effective. Unlike many books on this and related subjects, Dr. Izzo provides many excellent questions and exercises to help make the lessons your own. He also tells many stories about his experiences as a minister, consultant, and unsuccessful husband that will resonate with you . . . especially when he talks about where he went wrong. Rather than trying to write a book of original thinking on the subject of becoming more childlike (rather than childish) with age, he has succeeded in writing a book with a universal message contained in many wise and deeply engaging stories.

Let me share the table of contents for the book to give you some idea of its concepts and coverage:

Second Innocence: A Chance to See Goodness

I Rediscovering Wonder in the Daily Journey

1. Most of Life Is Rowing
2. Full Speed Ahead in the Wrong Direction

3. Reclaiming What We Left Behind
4. Detours: They Not What You Expect
5. It's a Great Life if You Don't Weaken
6. Mr. Thom's Lesson: Living Our Ideals
7. Reclaiming Awe and Wonder
8. What Trees Can Teach Us

II Rediscovering the Joy of Work

9. Your Job Is Bigger than You Think
10. What's Wrong with Rose-Colored Glasses?
11. Getting Past Your Expiration Date
12. Bake a Cake for the Office Troublemaker
13. The Leader's Choice

III Rediscovering Innocence in Relationships

14. Finding Perfect Love
15. The Power of Not Now: Love and the Art of Presence

IV Rediscovering Faith

16. My First Funeral
17. What Question Rules Your Life?
18. Miracles, Telephones and Serendipity

V On the Road to Second Innocence

19. The Simplest Wisdom . . . Start
20. What If You Could Change the World?

While many books on this subject seem aimed mostly at the young, Second Innocence seems aimed equally well at all age groups. This is the kind of book that you could share with your whole family and all of your friends . . . and receive great bounty in love and goodness and return.

As I finished the book, I wondered what I could do to pass along its message . . . and I decided to sit down to write this review on the spot.

What can you do to act with awe and wonder now?

Not only did I live through Child abuse, I also lived through Domestic Violence. I found solace in books such as NIGHTMARES ECHO and COURAGE TO HEAL. They gave me hope to try and change my life. SECOND INNOCENCE has given me my soul back. A renewal of my spirit. To let the past die out and begin again..I am so thankful that the three books I mentioned were there for me to move forward with. So grateful that SECOND INNOCENCE was written.I will recommend this book highly.
Fran Dawson-Just a reader

This book created a space in my mind, body, and heart for a new lease on life. This has had tremendous spillover effects for the best results in my marriage and relationship with my children. This is a wonderful piece of non-fiction, equally as good and life-altering as the "New Sex Now" DVD and "8 Minute Abs" videos. By all means, get in on this awakening right now!

Second Innocence, rediscovering joy and wonder, what an apt title, this book really made me think about how I was choosing to live my life. I am at choice, I think this is one of the most critical statements in turning my life around. Second Innocence truly reminded me of this in many areas of my life, love, work and leadership. Since reading Second Innocence, I have been taking a little more time in the morning to choose my focus for the day, is it going to be on joy and wonder or will I let it go to its normal default of negativity and cynicism. I have found in taking those few extra moments to choose my focus, my life has begun to turn around and become more positive. Nothing has changed but my choices that I am making. In changing my choices, I am seeing a lot more positive things in my life. In Second Innocence, the author John Izzo shares alot of interesting stories and asks thought provoking questions that have helped me to see what viewpoint I was choosing. In knowing I am choosing, it made it easy, in that I could make another choice. Take the time and read it. You too can make new choices in your life.

Author writes about rediscovering the wonder and joys of life. Based on his own experiences including death of his father, first love, a family suicide and other compelling stories, Izzo cheers you on to reconnect with and learn from your own life stories. It can be difficult at times to maintain optimism and grace in a world filled with cynicism but Izzo's inspirational book certainly helps you down the right path.

Magic to me is the unknown, I can't necessarily explain how the trick happens. For many years now I have been working on changing my life, from one of nothing going right, to one of joy and wonder. When I discovered the book Second Innocence, I was excited, here was someone writing on the magic of life, reattaching to the child like wonder that I had lost! In Second Innocence, I found many ideas of how to once more connect to that part of myself. I am at choice, I can choose to see the joy, or I can choose to see the negativity, it all depends which glasses I am choosing to wear. Thanks to Second Innocence, I have rediscovered joy in the simple things, the day to day, I put on my joy glasses in the morning and find I am constantly focused on seeing that joy! Since I have read Second Innocence, my life has taken another step into a life of joy and wonder. Pick it up and read it, you too can begin your own journey towards a life of joy and wonder. It is an easy read with many thought provoking questions. I read it once and then shortly after began it again, reading one chapter at a time and letting it sink in more deeply. Thank you John for writing this inspiring book.

I struggled with the concept of second innocence (still do); however, the premise is that we can maintain or recapture a sense of wonder, delight (whatever you want to call it) throughout our lives. And it is this sense of wonder that keeps us growing and allows us to become truly wise. I'm old enough to know wisdom when I see it and young enough to appreciate that innocent wonder in children. Izzo takes us through various aspects of our lives and shows how a sense of wonder keeps us young while allowing us to truly grow older with grace.

Second Innocence is a collection of thoughtful stories and lessons learned told from a courageous heart. John's message is simple yet profoundly applicable regardless of one's professional position or whether your personal path in life is at crossroads or clear sailing.

John's writing style makes this book perfect for the avid or novice reader. This will be my favorite book this year to give as a gift to my friends and to coworkers in my organization.

John Izzo writes simply and profoundly from his heart--his innocence--to yours.

I am an avid reader, I love books and start off drawn to them by the covers first. Rarely does a cover of a book speak to me such as this one. William Blake's picture captured me because of the title that spoke to a sense of vulnerbility,innocence and naivete that is depicted. I work hard every day to maintain a level of optimism and grace in a world that is slowly appears to be erroding away, its easy to feel powerless sometimes. The book admonishes that cynicism is a choice we make, that there is still plenty of goodness left, that wonder is healthy. As adults we have been given the gift of wisdom but it means little if its turned us bitter and pesimistic...we can't make a difference in the world if we hold onto this cynicism, the children of the world are our greatest mentor, we need to take lessons from them on reclaiming the joy and wonder back into our lives that we deserve, let go of the naivete and see the world with the eyes of wisdom and wonder.....Thanks for a great reminder joy is all around me if I choose to see it , the world need more positive storytelling..what a gift this book is to give away to anyone you love and care about in your life!!