Review by Momiji1987 -- And Then I Met Margaret

This forum is for volunteer reviews by members of our review team. These reviews are done voluntarily by the reviewers and are published in this forum, separate from the official professional reviews. These reviews are kept separate primarily because the same book may be reviewed by many different reviewers.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
Chelsy Scherba
In It Together VIP
Posts: 1829
Joined: 26 Jun 2015, 01:22
Favorite Author: Jordan David
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 837
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-chelsy-scherba.html
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
fav_author_id: 64963

Review by Momiji1987 -- And Then I Met Margaret

Post by Chelsy Scherba »

[Following is a volunteer review of "And Then I Met Margaret" by Rob White.]
Book Cover
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


And Then I Met Margaret by Rob White is a collection of the author’s memories that focus on spiritual growth and life lessons. In it, he chronicles his early years as the son of a factory worker on up to his multiple career paths in teaching, real estate, public speaking, and the restaurant business. His incredible drive and focus led to a lot of wealth and success and an amazing lifestyle of luxury. A mentor in his own right, Rob shares the stories of the people, animals, and situations that influenced his personal rise to the top. Some of his “life gurus” just might surprise you.

There are so many wonderful adjectives I could use to describe this book. Words like charming, touching, endearing, nostalgic and heartwarming come to mind. The author’s early, formative years as a young boy growing up in a factory town reveal his gradual evolution into a successful, self-made man in search of deeper meaning upon reaching the pinnacle of worldly achievement. At some point, Rob reflected on the times in his life that inspired his future success and thinking, and these are the moments he shares with us.

The gurus he speaks of aren’t the ones he paid top dollar to travel the world to listen to. These gurus are the people (or animals) that positively altered his perception and affected his personal growth. One of my favorite stories was his encounter with a distressed doe trapped in a block of ice. It was amazing to read about the lesson he learned from this animal; it quite literally changed his entire life. His recollection of Aunt Theresa actually brought tears to my eyes. I also loved the story about Dr. Tucker, the English teacher known as “the executioner” on campus. Later on, the author recounts a terribly embarrassing event that happened to him in front of thousands of people. I was thoroughly amused as I imagined the poor man’s plight as he struggled to find an escape from his situation. In the end, the lesson he learned was quite inspiring and one we all can benefit from.

This book will absolutely give you insight into how a man of his status thinks. At times, he’s completely relatable. At others, he’s a tad eccentric. At his most successful, he becomes a foolish daredevil. I really enjoyed the entertaining style of this book. Every lesson he shares plays out like a unique episode of a series. It starts with the title and ends with the author’s takeaway from the encounter. It’s a very fun book to read, and I can’t say I was ever bored.

There are a few errors scattered throughout the text, but on the whole, it looks like the author put in the effort to make the book look as professional as possible. I would recommend another round of proofreading just to get rid of the careless mistakes I found, particularly in the latter half of the book.

Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for enjoyment and the quality of the lessons contained. It really made me think and altered my perspective in some cases. I’ll definitely be thinking about how I can apply some of these lessons to my own life.

******
And Then I Met Margaret
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like Momiji1987's review? Post a comment saying so!
User avatar
LV2R
Posts: 1083
Joined: 25 Apr 2018, 22:28
Favorite Book: Crown of Crimson (The Afterlight Chronicles Book 1)
Currently Reading: Roan
Bookshelf Size: 345
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lv2r.html
Latest Review: Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker

Post by LV2R »

Thanks for your review. I too cried when I read his story about his Aunt. What love! I laughed hard at his embarrassing moment on stage. I liked how he described the whole thing. I liked the book and gave it 4 out of 4 stars.
User avatar
Chelsy Scherba
In It Together VIP
Posts: 1829
Joined: 26 Jun 2015, 01:22
Favorite Author: Jordan David
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 837
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-chelsy-scherba.html
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
fav_author_id: 64963

Post by Chelsy Scherba »

Haha!! Yes, I couldn’t stop laughing imaging the way he tried to scurry around the stage. This book is so great because it hits you in all the feels. I can’t say enough good things about it. Thanks for reading my review!
User avatar
Espie
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 4125
Joined: 05 May 2018, 06:36
Favorite Book: Behind the Barbed Wire Fence
Currently Reading: Noah's Quest
Bookshelf Size: 118
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-espie.html
Latest Review: Why Me: Trash Collector, Mental Issues by Nikolay N Bey

Post by Espie »

The book title didn't give out any hint of the author's learning from animals at all. I've expected the piece to focus on its namesake more. Still, thank you for your interesting and insightful review.
"Life has many different chapters for us. One bad chapter doesn't mean it's the end of the book."-Unknown
"To err is human; to forgive, divine."-Alexander Pope
"Put GOD first; He'll bless your efforts with success."-Proverbs
User avatar
Book Lover 35
Posts: 582
Joined: 10 Oct 2018, 18:16
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 24
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-book-lover-35.html
Latest Review: VieVie La Fontaine by Linda Heavner Gerald

Post by Book Lover 35 »

This book sounds really inspiring. The stories sound really good. Thanks for the review.
:tiphat:
User avatar
kandscreeley
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 11682
Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 20:31
Currently Reading: Believarexic
Bookshelf Size: 486
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kandscreeley.html
Latest Review: The Elf Revelation by Jordan David

Post by kandscreeley »

It's definitely nice to have the gurus in the book be everyday people. It's inspiring and uplifting to be sure. Your review is lovely! Thanks so much.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
User avatar
gali
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 53652
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 07:12
Favorite Author: Agatha Christie
Currently Reading: The Suite Life
Bookshelf Size: 2287
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gali.html
Reading Device: B00I15SB16
Publishing Contest Votes: 0
fav_author_id: 2484

Post by gali »

A memoir focusing on the author's spiritual growth and life lessons sounds inspiring. It is good of the author to share the stories and gurus that influenced his rise to the top. Too bad about the lack of sufficient editing. I don't think it is for me, but I am glad you found the book beneficial. Thank you for the review!
A retired Admin/Mod

Pronouns: She/Her

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
User avatar
Vickie Noel
In It Together VIP
Posts: 2448
Joined: 30 Jun 2017, 04:46
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 86063">Are you afraid of the dark</a>
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 868
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-vickie-noel.html
Latest Review: Modern Day Cowboy by Nathaniel Sheft
Reading Device: B01C9JZEBO

Post by Vickie Noel »

Wow I absolutely love this review, so well written. I'm quite curious about Dr Tucker, the "executioner" English teacher, and I wonder how he got the tag. It sure sounds like fun to read about Rob's embarrassing moment on stage too. I love to learn lessons from everything around me so this book seems to be the perfect fit. Thanks for sharing!
Stop waiting for what you WANT, start working with what you HAVE. --- Seth Cain
Never be bullied into questioning your own credibility. --- Vickie Noel
jaliper
Posts: 1124
Joined: 15 Jul 2017, 18:56
Currently Reading: The Healer
Bookshelf Size: 598

Post by jaliper »

Not a bad review. It is shown that White has been an ordinary man with ordinary wants and needs without the way of love. Inspiring is the name of this book and your review shows that you grasped the events and knowledge to pass on to others that need the motivation in a broken down version. Great explaining and understanding.
User avatar
Laura Ungureanu
Posts: 2018
Joined: 25 Mar 2018, 11:32
Favorite Book: The Book Thief
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 1392
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-laura-ungureanu.html
Latest Review: Love and Marriage by Arthur Hartz

Post by Laura Ungureanu »

I also read this book and the stories of his old aunt, his magician uncle, and little Margaret, stayed with me all this time.
User avatar
Ferdinand_Otieno
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 3369
Joined: 03 Jun 2017, 12:54
Favorite Author: Victor Rose
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 1749
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ferdinand-otieno.html
Latest Review: Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker
fav_author_id: 78026

Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

This is a motivational non-fiction memoir on the experience and life lessons the author faced. I am not a huge fan of books in this genre but the OnlineBookClub review was superb and sold nme on the book. Irated it 3 out of 4 stars and congrats@robwhitemedia for an amazing BOTD.
User avatar
fndirangu20
Posts: 54
Joined: 09 Nov 2018, 06:13
Favorite Book: The Reel Sisters
Currently Reading: the girl who knew da vinci
Bookshelf Size: 53

Post by fndirangu20 »

The book sounds intersting,and the 4stars is well deserved. I am going to read it right now. Thanks for the good review.
"Our inherent successful nature awaits our release, which can only happen through our active awareness of it!"

"An unwanted life is unnecessary, when you live with love in your heart!' Such simple discoveries are answers to the roaring questions of our lives!"
User avatar
Heidi M Simone
Official Reviewer Representative
Posts: 7054
Joined: 17 Jul 2015, 20:19
Favorite Book: Harry Potter
Currently Reading: Beyond the Wand
Bookshelf Size: 556
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-heidi-m-simone.html
Latest Review: The Movie Chair by Shari Borkin
Publishing Contest Votes: 27
fav_author_id: 0

Post by Heidi M Simone »

Spiritual growth and life lessons are topics I'm sure many would find beneficial, and it's good to know that, in this memoir, the author explores just that. I like that the author starts from his youth and shares about the "everyday" gurus he meets on his life journey. I'm glad that you found this book to be entertaining and fun, as well as, heartwarming and endearing. Too bad about the errors here, but it's good to know that the quality of lessons are worthwhile. Don't think this is for me, but I'm glad you enjoyed this memoir!
Heidi
Official Reviewer Representative

"There is nothing as powerful as a mother’s love, and nothing as healing as a child’s soul." – Unknown
charity muthoka
Posts: 31
Joined: 13 Jun 2018, 04:45
Currently Reading: The Black Market
Bookshelf Size: 3

Post by charity muthoka »

This book is inspiring and very motivating.I am going to read it right now.Thanks for the good review.
User avatar
cpru68
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 1442
Joined: 14 Feb 2018, 19:21
Favorite Book: What My Dog Taught Me About Jesus
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 179
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-cpru68.html
Latest Review: Heaven's Call by Roger Dawson
Reading Device: B00HCNHDN0

Post by cpru68 »

I read this one earlier this year, and I agree with you on the adjectives you used here to describe this book. I liked his “simple” encounters with everyday people that touched his life so profoundly. And when you say he is a daredevil, I think instantly of his running with the bulls story! Great job on this. It reminded me of how good this book is!
Everything happens for a reason...
Post Reply

Return to “Volunteer Reviews”