Wake-Up Calls: Making The Most Out Of Every Day (Regardless Of What Life Throws You) [Paperback]

Joan Lunden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2001

Full of photographs and priceless, refreshingly straightforward advice, Wake-Up Calls reveals a "behind-the-scenes" Joan - candid, content, and clear-eyed - as she doles out the sage guidance that has kept her thriving throughout her long tenure in the public eye. Through a spirited mix of beautifully written ruminations on some of her most personal experiences, poems, and hundreds of priceless quotes from notable figures in all walks of life, Joan Lunden demonstrates the matchless value of a positive, "you-can-do-it" attitude as she shows us how to: unravel the mind-sets that might be keeping us trapped in the past; how to declare and redefine our notions of what it means to be fulfilled and contended; how to connect to all of the motivational resources that we have at our fingertips but may not see; and how to cultivate a powerful community of family and friends who will support and reinforce our most cherished aspirations. Enriched by the advice, wisdom, and witticisms of such varied luminaries as Buddha, Virginia Woolf, Babe Ruth, Walter Cronkite, Gilda Radner, Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Gloria Steinem, Julia Child, Joan Rivers, Barbara Walters, John F. Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sophia Loren, and Joan's own mother and three children, here is a timeless and wonderfully entertaining resource. As Joan explores the crucial importance of taking risks, putting success in perspective, nurturing loving relationships, and accepting change with grace and dignity, Wake-Up Calls promises readers an extraordinary - and ultimately rewarding - journey through life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"We could all benefit from learning how to reduce our stresses, to let go of our emotional blocks, and to embrace life's joy," writes Joan Lunden, cohost of "Good Morning America" for almost 20 years. In Wake-Up Calls: Making the Most out of Every Day (Regardless of What Life Throws You), she shares the winning strategies that have worked for her.

Lunden offers tidbits and personal stories to give her spin on enthusiasm, goal-setting, self-esteem, change, stress, parenting, aging, and more. She includes sections by various others who contribute their wisdom: Tony Robbins, Ellen McGrath, Zig Ziglar, Brian Luke Seaward, Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Deepak Chopra, and even Joan Rivers. Numerous quotes from folks as diverse as Saint Francis of Assisi, Sir Winston Churchill, Martha Washington, Charles Shultz, Lily Tomlin, and Irving Berlin pepper the book (a favorite: "Big deal! I'm used to dust!"--Erma Bombeck's requested gravestone epitaph). Dozens of photos of Lunden doing athletic activities and posing with loved ones illustrate the chapters.

This book is an improvement over Joan Lunden's A Bend in the Road Is Not the End of the Road: 10 Positive Principles for Dealing with Change because here she offers helpful lessons and tips. Readers might still feel that the lights shine too brightly on her as the central character, as in the earlier book. But if you like Lunden and miss seeing her on TV, you'll enjoy this book. --Joan Price --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

For those in need of a self-help book full of aphorisms by a former talk-show host, this is for you. As her fans will know, Lunden, formerly cohost of Good Morning America, has been down this road before; her first foray into the self-help field, A Bend in the Road Is Not the End of the Road (1998), covers similar territory. Why Lunden, happily married for the second time, the mother of three lovely daughters, and, as she proudly proclaims, the president of the Women's Supermarket Network (which will allow her to talk to shoppers from giant screens above the aisles) feels she can champion those battling adversity is not quite clear. Over the years, however, she has filled notebooks (apparently tons of them) with such sayings as "Never build a case against yourself" or "There is little traffic on the extra mile"; these nuggets are scattered profusely throughout the book along with pearls of wisdom from inspirational motivators such as Tony Robbins and Zig Ziglar. Lunden seems to save family photos as conscientiously as she does sappy quotations, and she fills up her book with a healthy selection of them. The pictures are innocuous enough, but Lunden's writing is utterly banal. (The other contributors, Robbins, et al., do this kind of thing far better than Lunden does.) Still, Lunden retains a following from her television days, and she is certain to be making the talk-show circuit when this book hits the stores. Be prepared for the inevitable. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies; 1st edition (September 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071379703
• ISBN-13: 978-0071379700
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,466,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable insights on the human path, October 3, 2000

By 

A new fan in Boulder - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wake Up Calls: Making the Most Out of Every Day (Regardless of What Life Throws You) (Hardcover)

I stumbled across Wake-up Calls in the new Borders in town and was compelled to pick it up and skim through it. I was struck by the number of inspiring quotes as well as the heart-felt stories by this remarkable human being. This lady really walks her talk. Not only is a great gift book for friends and family on special occasions, but selfishly it is a piece of art to have handy when the clouds move in leaving us in momentary darkness, for this book certainly holds great light. Thanks!!!!!

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Motivational wisdom, September 28, 2000

By 

Donna Hoffman (Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wake Up Calls: Making the Most Out of Every Day (Regardless of What Life Throws You) (Hardcover)

This all-inspiring book is wonderful. I literally could not put it down. The numerous quotes are worth the price of the book alone. Joan Lunden clearly cites ways to make the most out of your stressful day and end it with a smile. She motivates you to set goals for yourself and to go towards them with a "you can do it attitude". She emphasizes the hazards of living in the past and not in the present. She explores the importance of taking risks and accepting change. She provides an outstanding motivational voyage through life. A real 5-star adventure. The photographs in the book are an added treat.I recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a more enriching and fulfilling life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We all need a wake-up call, January 18, 2001

By 

Lance (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wake Up Calls: Making the Most Out of Every Day (Regardless of What Life Throws You) (Hardcover)

This is a great book, Thanks Joan,. I particularly like the passage by Brian Luke Seaward. THanks for including him in the book. Keep smiling, you are the best.