3 out of 4 stars
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Have you ever had a day that you just weren't feeling it? Maybe a day that you just didn't feel like "adulting" any more? We've all been there, whether we admit it or not. Something Happened Today might be just the pick-me-up you're looking for.
Paul E. Kotz has filled this book with lessons he has learned, humorous incidents, apropos sayings and cute stories. The book is about 100 pages split into 8 sections. It's perfect for those days when you're in a hurry as you can pick one short story or saying to read from the most appropriate section. Or it is easy to read all at once.
One of my favorite stories was entitled Let the Light Emerge. The author was trying to start a fire in the fire pit in his yard. He was doing all the proper things but not having any success. His wife, who was of course a girl scout, comes along and uses gentleness to fan the flame. He applies this to our lives in the following way. "If only someone would send a gentle breeze our way, instead of blowing too hard and extinguishing our flame--we might actually burn brighter, and be subjugated to darkness less."
The author has much to share with his audience and does so in a Chicken Soup for the Soul format. This collection helped me to remember to seize the day, to set boundaries and to always pay it forward. The mood was lighthearted and fun while still communicating important truths about life.
However, the sheer number of punctuation errors in this one made my head spin. There were run-on sentences left and right. Commas were missing between two independent clauses and inserted where they didn't belong. In addition, there were a few incorrect words here and there. All in all, it was a bit distracting to the message the author was trying to convey. For example: "Sometimes, a metal ball bearing, or machine part hidden in the grass blades; or those pesky sticks, which generally fell from one of our trees., would cause the mower blades to sputter." A good proofreader or editor would be invaluable in this instance.
Overall, I think many would enjoy the wisdom contained in Something Happened Today. Even so, the lack of editing leaves me rating this book 3 out of 4 stars. If you enjoyed the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, this would definitely be right up your alley. While a bit shorter in nature, the personality of the author shines through, making this one rise to the top.
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Something Happened Today
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