Review by Mcrossman03 -- And Then I Met Margaret

[Mcrossman03]

[Following is a volunteer review of "And Then I Met Margaret" by Rob White.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Have you ever wondered if the people you’ve met in your life taught you anything of value? From the janitor at your school to the person who dropped a ten dollar bill in front of you in the checkout line, are these encounters worth any significance? And Then I Met Margaret is a memoir written by Rob White that answers these questions. The people he’s met throughout his life have been gurus who’ve taught him the true value in the small moments. As a successful entrepreneur, it wasn’t the many lectures or professional speakers who spoke on the topic of finding happiness, but the people and moments in his own life that needed a little more attention.

In many of Rob’s examples an ordinary person can relate to his message and his stories, if one only takes the time to realize the true lesson at hand. Each story is prefaced with a myth that Rob believed and by the end of each individual tale the myth is altered into what he learned and how it changed the course of his life. Although extremely successful as a real estate agent and restaurateur, Rob was seeking happiness that he couldn’t find in money.

As a reader of various genres from-self help to fantasy, it seemed like this book called to me the moment I needed it most. I too have been searching for true happiness in my day to day life. And Then I Met Margaret reminded me that if I only pay attention I have already learned several lessons and have already met some of my own gurus. I found this book exciting and unlike most self-help books I have read. No two stories were the same and I could easily finish a story and pick up at the next without feeling incomplete. Each tale from Rob’s life was a moment that altered his thinking and his true happiness and it showed me that I could find the same.

Having enjoyed each story in its entirety, however, I rated this book a 3 out of 4 stars. Each story had a valuable lesson and I enjoyed that the “lay” person could also relate but I found some stories to be deeply moving only to be followed by a sub-par one. I am not sure how Rob picked the order of his stories, but I believed they could have been arranged with more purpose, increasing with meaning. I believe that a story about a grieving mother giving her baby forth to the sun god in Tanzania should not have been followed by a lesson on a speeding ticket. It provided a roller coaster for my emotions and I found some of the tales lacking. I also came across several errors from missing end quotes to missing words and other grammatical errors which, as a reader, highly influenced my rating. I did, however, find worth in the stories because I could personally connect to them and his thoughts on starting his own business. I believe others could relate as well. Rob White did a wonderful job reminding his readers of their own worth and how to focus on their happiness which is not a selfish thing to do, but something one should do.

I would recommend this book to those who want to be reminded of their own self-worth and how to search for gurus, messages, or lessons in their daily life. Rob reminded me that I have met several gurus already, but to be on the lookout for others I will encounter. He can do the same for you.

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And Then I Met Margaret
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[kdstrack]

Great comment about how gurus can be the simplest person and that the author discovered that money was not giving him happiness. Your observation about the arrangement of the stories was very interesting. Nice job.

[EvaDar]

Having enjoyed each story in its entirety, however, I rated this book a 3 out of 4 stars. Each story had a valuable lesson and I enjoyed that the “lay” person could also relate but I found some stories to be deeply moving only to be followed by a sub-par one. I am not sure how Rob picked the order of his stories, but I believed they could have been arranged with more purpose, increasing with meaning. I believe that a story about a grieving mother giving her baby forth to the sun god in Tanzania should not have been followed by a lesson on a speeding ticket. It provided a roller coaster for my emotions and I found some of the tales lacking. I also came across several errors from missing end quotes to missing words and other grammatical errors which, as a reader, highly influenced my rating. I did, however, find worth in the stories because I could personally connect to them and his thoughts on starting his own business. I believe others could relate as well. Rob White did a wonderful job reminding his readers of their own worth and how to focus on their happiness which is not a selfish thing to do, but something one should do.

I enjoyed your review. I agree that the poignancy of of the lessons was somewhat inconsistent. I did appreciate the storytelling ability of the author, but felt he missed the mark on some of the transformed beliefs. Thanks for the great review. Well done.

[Mcrossman03]

Thank you so much for your positive feedback. As my first review I was quite excited. I was happy with choosing this memoir, rather than a non-fiction book with basic story-telling properties.

[The BookWorm Nagham]

I would recommend this book to those who want to be reminded of their own self-worth and how to search for gurus, messages, or lessons in their daily life. Rob reminded me that I have met several gurus already, but to be on the lookout for others I will encounter. He can do the same for you.

I agree, reading this book made me think and reflect about of my own life and search for my own gurus, all the people and moments that affected me. It really is an interesting book and i'm glad you liked it. I also believe that we could be gurus to others and help influence and shape them. If I haven't read the book already I would want to read it based on your review of it. Thank you for a well written review, check out mine if you like. Keep writing!