4 out of 4 stars
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And Then I Met Margaret by Rob White is a nonfiction book about the life of Mr. White. It is a compilation of twenty one short stories about the "ordinary gurus" that he met and shows how they have impacted his life and successful career.
The book starts off with a lovely lesson about kindness and compassion which involved a sad story of his Aunt Theresa and the pain she endured at the hands of the community. It describes the traditions of his town and how it was custom that all men would work in one of two factories but he broke the status quo and wanted something different for his future. Instead of mimicking the walk of his father, continuing to take the same haircut as his father and working in one of the factories, he had dreams of leaving town and going to college. Of course, this disappointed and surprised many but it did not stop him from working hard to accomplish his goal. He worked his way through college, eventually got a teaching job but still wanted more. Finally he got the courage to leave the security and stability of his teaching job, and venture into the world of real estate. It was a very rocky road, filled with lots of risks and losses but it was also filled with many lessons that made him a successful businessman.
I liked the layout of the book. Each one of his chapters starts with a myth that he once believed and it ends with the reality that he discovered; the lessons he learnt based on the experiences he relayed. How were these lessons learnt? From "regular" everyday persons, not from gurus from around the world, life coaches or even other motivational speakers. His family members, a stranger in a candy store, the janitor from his school and a Park peanut vendor named Peter are all featured in this book and they are among many others who played a pivotal role in shaping the life of Mr. White.
The book was funny and witty and filled with many meaningful quotes. Although I did not connect to every chapter personally, most of the stories were relatable. I was pleased that the author also showed how important it is to "pay it forward" and teach others as well. I found myself thinking about the persons I have met and the experiences I have gained and what I could have learnt from them.
I will rate this book 4 out of 4 stars and I can predict that this will be one of the best books that I will read for the year. It is a very inspiring and motivational book and a brilliant way to start the new year. This book demonstrates that the best teacher in life is experience and encourages everyone to always open their eyes to what life is trying to show us as sometimes inspiration can come from the most unexpected gurus.
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And Then I Met Margaret
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