A Gift of Meaning (Paperback)

~ Bill Tammeus (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A collection of lasting truths from Bill Tammeus, a columnist for the "Kansas City Star". Each piece reveals Tammeus's attempt to wrestle eternal meaning from the events and experiences that sweep us along day by day. The volume invites readers to stop and think for themselves.

Product Details

• Paperback: 253 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri Press (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826213669
• ISBN-13: 978-0826213662
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,136,315 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Food for the Brain and the Heart, March 18, 2002

By	"dukerob" (Walnut Creek, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Bill Tammeus notices things as one who participates widely in life. He asks you to notice the meaning of these things with him, even as he assumes you will interpret them yourself. His range of subjects is remarkable. And no matter his focus--family, the news, war, politics, sports, AIDS, celebrated heroes, the "soft underbelly" of the media, pop culture, and much more--he always is scratching at what it means to keep human life human.

Tammeus' seasoned writing, thoughtful organization of topics and column length pieces (about two pages each) make reading effortless and a joy. His wit and self-effacing humor jump out of almost every page. But just the moment you chuckle with him, he takes you through his own personal pain and your eyes well up. Whether he is graced and elated or is staggering under grief, he touches you deep inside, because he writes so honestly from his own inner depths. No matter the subject, he leaves you full and enriched.

The author opens with personal reflections on the burial of his mother in a muddy Illinois plot in 1996. In the Epilogue he writes poignantly about what the world lost with the senseless death of his beloved nephew Karleton (and of all the others) in the first plane to hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. From his first word to his last, Tammeus packs his 250 pages with life. Thus, "A Gift of Meaning" makes a wonderful gift. I have already given copies to several people I love.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Epic in Journalism, December 25, 2001

By	Robert T (Lawrence, Kansas) - See all my reviews

Never in my life have I encountered an author with such colorful grace in describing life, and the way which Bill Tammeus writes is the same way that we'd each like to author our own. He is truly an artist of our time, working in words like others do in oils or clay. If you're willing to be caught reading a book cover to cover, than "A Gift of Meaning" is the literary genius to take you on your journey.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift of Meaning, March 27, 2003

By	Malcolm R. Howell (Mobile, AL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A superbly written book in which the author reveals and shares so many personal details of his life, making it most personal, inspiring, humorous and enjoyable. In a day when so many journalists have an agenda, it is delightful to read past essays from a journalist who does not have an agenda, is not to the right or to the left attempting to impose an attitude or set of beliegs on the reader. The author has compiled a second book of essays, which I have not been able to find...