Category Archives: Biography/Memoir

It’s Not About You, by Tom Rath

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The author of popular children’s book How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids brings us a short 35 page brief guide about finding a purposeful life.

” Your life has an unknown expiration date. Your efforts and contributions to others do not. The time, energy, and resources you invest in people you care for and your community keep growing forever. “ -Tom Rath, It’s Not About You

Though there are powerful highlights along the way, I enjoyed the first half more than the second half. Mostly this book is a celebration of those who have contributed to the author’s life, but the beginning does provide the reader with a quick reminder of how to invest in filling up others around us. It’s somewhere between a self-help and a memoir.

There is a three step guide, but the third step focuses on his career exploration differing in design form the first two . He does eventually explain how he ended up writing the book How Full is Your Bucket. From Step 3 on, it is a lot of rambling stories. The organization is muddled, and after the first couple of chapters the focus of the book doesn’t stay completely defined; it repeats ideas and goes on to tell more stories about people he has encountered.

6 Total Chapters:
*Step 1-Get Over Yourself
*Step 2- Invest in the People Who Matter Most
*Step 3- Focus on What Will Grow When You Are Gone
*Living a Life of Contribution
*How Can I Contribute Today
*Answering Life’s Greatest Questions

Currently available for free download on Amazon for Prime members.

Tom Rath’s children’s book has inspired many classrooms. Visit his website to learn more.

Read Forbe’s article featuring Tom Rath about how small changes can affect our lives in major ways.

Click here to read a short article about an NBA player who went to a local school to read Tom Rath’s children’s story about filling peers buckets.

Follow Tom Rath on Facebook.

” We are, to a large degree, the product of what others have contributed to our lives.” -Tom Rath, It’s Not About You

|Purchase on Amazon| Goodreads Review|

Conversations with Dickens, by Paul Schlicke

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A hearty little introductory book presenting imaginary conversations with the great Charles Dickens! It covers 15 different themes which center more around his writing rather than personal matters.

The beginning of the book provides background for Charles Dickens, so the conversations do not start until 20% (on a Kindle). The first half of the book focuses on his favorite authors, their influence on his writing, and his financial agreements with publishers. It isn’t until after 57% (on a Kindle) when the conversation turns a bit more personal and Dickens then recounts memories of his mother and further goes on to address romantic rumors. The conversation then proceeds to tackle his religious beliefs, moral principles, travels, thoughts on crime and punishment, education, politics, hobbies/activities, and lastly Christmas.

This is a great introduction to Dickens and would be beneficial to students. It is short and would be valuable in comparative literature circles. The premise is fun, and my favorite parts were hearing his voice containing his acclaimed slang and neologisms.

“So, you see, Mrs. Seymour’s claim that her late husband deserved most of the credit for the success of Pickwick is sheer poppycock!”

“…many readers thought that it was intended as a likeness of Nicholas, and not me. As if – ha, ha! – any fictional character could be as a dashing as I was in those days!”

Thanks to Netgalley, Paul Schlicke, and Watkins Publishing for this copy. Opinions are my own.

Dickens

More on Charles Dickens:
How Charles Dickens changed the English language
Dickens Museum

| Purchase on Amazon | Goodreads Review |