If There's One Thing I've Learned...: How to Seize Your Once-In-A-Lifetime Chance to Get It Right [Hardcover]

James Green (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2005

If you only knew then what you know...now...

You’re in good company. Few of us get through life without wishing we could get a do-over. But you know the rules: You only go around once. So what’s the secret to making better choices the first time through? And what practical wisdom and insight will help you to re-shape your destiny to match your dreams?

Learn from those who have come before you.

If There’s One Thing I’ve Learned is an inspiring and life-affirming collection of everyday epiphanies from people recalling pivotal moments in their lives. The stories speak of life’s lost and found: love, time, career, money, dreams, childhood. Bring them along for your journey so that, like a well-traveled companion, they’re always nearby to move and comfort you and help guide you to the life you were meant to live.

Let the experiences of others show you that:
*You should think twice before you let love walk away...
*When you’re not appreciated at work, you can move on...
*You can change your life before it’s too late...
*Time passes and before you know it...
*When you do what you love, the joy will follow...
*Your children need your presence...now...
*To act on your dreams you must awaken...

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

If There's One Thing I Learned is an inspiring, life-affirming collection of everyday epiphanies from people recalling pivotal moments in their lives. The stores--which represent hundreds of personal interviews conducted with people from all over the country--speak of life's lost and found: love, time, career, money, dreams, and childhood. Some stories serve as warning signs; others as well-lit paths of hope. Together they create a unique and compelling roadmap for the future.

From the Inside Flap

Okay, you’ve done some things you regret. Who hasn’t, right? And there’s no doubt you’ve failed to do some things that would have made your life richer. We’ve all missed out on opportunities. But it’s those one or two big moments "that got away" that nag at you and keep you looking back at how things might have been, or make you wonder if you’ll ever get another chance to get it right.

How do you make sure you’re ready the next time life calls you? If you’re tired of looking back or unclear about what’s ahead, then this book is for you.

"...our future rarely shouts; it whispers. ‘This will matter. This is important’...the whisper tells us the things we’ll one day wish we knew now, the things we’ll someday wish we had understood earlier."—from If There’s One Thing I’ve Learned

How do you create a personal and future life without regrets? It sounds simple enough, but most of us could use a little help.

"The only real way to get some sense of our future is to listen to the stories of those who...have done and seen what we have not yet done and seen. If we take the lessons that others have learned and apply them forward in our lives, we truly have a window on our future."— from If There’s One Thing I’ve Learned

Where did the stories come from? This book is the result of hundreds of personal interviews conducted with people from all walks of life. The author is a highly skilled interviewer who has a knack for encouraging subjects to share their most poignant and powerful moments. Some stores serve as warning signs; others as well-lit paths of hope. Together they create a unique and inspiring road map for your future.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Sound View Publishing, Inc (April 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976105845
• ISBN-13: 978-0976105848
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,834,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read!, November 1, 2005

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If There's One Thing I've Learned...: How to Seize Your Once-In-A-Lifetime Chance to Get It Right (Hardcover)

"To know the road ahead, ask those coming back."
--Chinese Proverb

James Green's interviews with 87 people helped them reveal their moment of truth--and what truth it is. Each story is only a few pages based on: If you could go back and change anything in your life, what would you do differently?

The subtitle of the book is "How to seize your once-in-a-lifetime chance to get it right." It's pretty obvious we will see ourselves in more than one of the stories.

You cannot have a favorite in these stories as each one makes a strong point. For example:
-- A retired NYC cop says he wishes he had been more open minded as a young man relative to people of different races.
-- A young woman tells how she loved men who didn't love her; and was loved by men she didn't love, and how she finally decided to save herself physically and emotionally for the right man.

The author is an airline pilot who decided that "He would listen to the whisper and not let life pass him by, and that he would live his life without regret."

The interview questions he used are part of the book, and if you read them, you will be forced to think about things you learned as each one is a subtle nudge down memory lane.

Can you tell I loved this book! And as a bonus, he included some really great quotes.

Armchair Interviews says with so much downer news in the media and our lives today, these stories so very uplifting.

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first,
the lesson afterwards."
-- Vernon Sanders Law, pro baseball player

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Emotions and facts, November 1, 2005

By 

Daniel St Jean - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: If There's One Thing I've Learned...: How to Seize Your Once-In-A-Lifetime Chance to Get It Right (Hardcover)

One of the things I teach in my networking and marketing workshops is the reality that "People buy on emotions, and justify with facts." The 'problem' here is that you can't buy this book "on emotions" because you've not seen it yet and obviously not read it either. So my recommendation then is "Buy this book FOR the emotions (tears, laughter, goose bumps... I got all of those in 15 minutes of reading) and, if needed, you'll be able to easily justify your purchase with facts. Like the facts the book is beautifully laid out and designed (I know, I'm an author and publisher), very well-written, filled with teaching stories that are not preaching at you. There are two "inspirational" books in my library (of about 200 such books) that I honestly think should be 'mandatory reading' for 18 to 20 years-old (and 'highly recommended' reading for everybody else): one book is "It's Not What Happens To You..." by W Mitchell, and this book by James Green is the other one. I plan to buy many copies more than I already have and offer them as gifts to people I care about. Not CDs, not ties, not earrings or boxes of chocolate...because none of those things have the power to change a life, to help someone MAKE a better life for himself/herself. This book CAN...and possibly WILL do that.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for all students of life..., January 4, 2006

By 

Laura (Marblehead, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If There's One Thing I've Learned...: How to Seize Your Once-In-A-Lifetime Chance to Get It Right (Hardcover)

James Green's book encourages the reader to look within himself/herself, to focus upon their goals, what's important in their lives and also offers some solace that we can learn from our past, in order to improve upon our future. It's refreshing to read a "guide" which isn't another fad. Rather, the author offers thought provoking experiences from diverse individuals, which can be of benefit to all.