Overall, this book was a touch obvious and sentimental, however, it had some moments of utter brilliance. These moments, excerpted below, were enough to make me pause and relish in the words and concepts for several moments. They bumped up rating to a solid four stars. I am not sure I would rush out to buy other Andy Andrews books. I would be afraid they all have too similar plots: mysterious sage man helps a community see the errors of its ways. That said, I'm glad I read this book. It was a feel good, stop and make you think, easy reading reminder that life is too short.
My favorite moments:
“I was in a city one night — Chicago, it was, come to think of it — and I saw a man chase a hat that had blown off someone's head into the street. A car hit him and killed him dead.” Walker glanced at the old man, disgusted, and said, “Why on earth would you tell me that?” “I just think it's amazing,” Jones answered, looking straight ahead, “that a person could lose everything, chasing nothing.”
Have you ever considered how often we judge ourselves by our intentions while we judge others by their actions? Yet intention without action is an insult to those who expect the best from you. ‘I intended to bring you flowers, but I didn't.’ ‘I meant to finish this work on time.’ ‘I was going to be there for your birthday …’ Despite popular belief to the contrary, there is absolutely no power in intention.
It is simply that they did not make a mistake; they made a choice … and never understood the difference between the two.
Forgiveness is about the past. Trust and respect are about the future.
- Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now
- Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account
