2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The book A Journey of Hope, Day by Day is a non-fiction that attempts to empower its readers by leaving a mark as an inspiration. The author, Richard Matthews, does this by providing reflections on the turning points in history and presenting them as part of a "common human heritage."
The book has a simple format. The author provides a significant event in history for each day of the year (365 days) and gives a life lesson which can be learned from each event. Some of these events include the NASA Moon Landing and the Indian Independence Movement.
The book aims to inspire people by revisiting historical events which could have been forgotten by many. The author effectively communicates the events in history in a concise and personal manner. All of the events, in his tale, suggests that we can go back to history to get help for today's ills in society.
Unfortunately, there are several problems with the book that needs to be addressed. First, there is inconsistency in the use of font faces which can irk readers as some words are suddenly italicized and placed in another typeface for no apparent reason. Second, there are also multiple instances of improper use capitalization. For instance, in describing Kelly as a graduate, the first letter of “economics” is capitalized. There are also detrimental typographical errors. This is evident in the entry for the 5th of February. The entry is set in 1917 but the year is typed as 2017 in the first sentence. Overall, all of these suggest that the book is not professionally edited.
Furthermore, most of the examples provided in the book are focused in the US. While there are attempts to include events in other places such as in the Soviet Union and India, the events are presented in an American understanding. The case of Gandhi, for instance, is likened to Martin Luther King Jr. which ignores the contexts the historical event took place. This isn't necessarily a problem as the book is meant for American readers, but the book risks of becoming a misleading historical text if it presents itself as part of a "common human heritage."
I would rate this book 2 out of 4 stars as I can recommend it to Americans who are possibly looking for meaning through history. Giving it only one star takes away the elegance of the author’s reflections and his ability to connect with people. However, this book is still suited for a non-American looking for a fair read on reflections of historical events.
******
A Journey in Hope, Day by Day
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like raikyuu's review? Post a comment saying so!
