Review of The Viewfinder
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Ugonna Henry Uzoka
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Review of The Viewfinder
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Viewfinder" by Michael J. Bowen.]
The Viewfinder by Michael J. Bowen is an autobiography about his life experiences before and after his accident, which altered his reality and gave him a reality check to review his lifestyle and choices. The author describes these memories as pictures through a viewfinder.
The author's viewfinder provided him with the opportunity to review his childhood, most especially the times when he was susceptible to the negative influence of other people and the times when he did not believe in himself, which made him regard himself as a failure. This robbed him of his self-esteem and left him with the constant feeling that he was no good and would always fail at anything he did. However, the author realises that the obstacle holding him back is himself.
My best part was that the author had a second chance at life after facing the moment of truth through his viewfinder, which made him realise that he was drowning in an ocean by the same life preserver he made up. However, he decided to take a bolder step towards his goals by working hard towards his dream of playing lawn tennis.
During his ordeal, Bowen often wondered whether God was trying to teach him compassion since he was now at the receiving end, unlike when he used to be the giver. He equally learnt how to do his best and let God worry about the rest. This stemmed from the fact that he needed to stay positive in order to recover faster, so he asked his brother to get him a basketball backboard at the foot of his bed and a Nerf basketball.
I learnt about the need to take my time to plan towards achieving my goals in life, one step at a time, and the need to always show gratitude to God for everything going on in my life. I also learnt that some experiences could be utterly humbling; however, one needs to stay humble always.
I also liked that he did not force his religion and beliefs on others.
I disliked that his accident and recovery images were loaded on the middle page of the book. It would have been best to have them at the end of the book, which would have helped give the book better closure.
I strongly recommend this book to everyone. It is not only easy to read and understand, but it equally inspires and gives hope that anyone can get a second chance. In conclusion, I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars for the reasons above. I'm not deducting a star as the negative sides I mentioned did not take away from the book's message. This book stands as proof that God answers prayers and shows mercy to whoever he deems fit.
******
The Viewfinder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Viewfinder by Michael J. Bowen is an autobiography about his life experiences before and after his accident, which altered his reality and gave him a reality check to review his lifestyle and choices. The author describes these memories as pictures through a viewfinder.
The author's viewfinder provided him with the opportunity to review his childhood, most especially the times when he was susceptible to the negative influence of other people and the times when he did not believe in himself, which made him regard himself as a failure. This robbed him of his self-esteem and left him with the constant feeling that he was no good and would always fail at anything he did. However, the author realises that the obstacle holding him back is himself.
My best part was that the author had a second chance at life after facing the moment of truth through his viewfinder, which made him realise that he was drowning in an ocean by the same life preserver he made up. However, he decided to take a bolder step towards his goals by working hard towards his dream of playing lawn tennis.
During his ordeal, Bowen often wondered whether God was trying to teach him compassion since he was now at the receiving end, unlike when he used to be the giver. He equally learnt how to do his best and let God worry about the rest. This stemmed from the fact that he needed to stay positive in order to recover faster, so he asked his brother to get him a basketball backboard at the foot of his bed and a Nerf basketball.
I learnt about the need to take my time to plan towards achieving my goals in life, one step at a time, and the need to always show gratitude to God for everything going on in my life. I also learnt that some experiences could be utterly humbling; however, one needs to stay humble always.
I also liked that he did not force his religion and beliefs on others.
I disliked that his accident and recovery images were loaded on the middle page of the book. It would have been best to have them at the end of the book, which would have helped give the book better closure.
I strongly recommend this book to everyone. It is not only easy to read and understand, but it equally inspires and gives hope that anyone can get a second chance. In conclusion, I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars for the reasons above. I'm not deducting a star as the negative sides I mentioned did not take away from the book's message. This book stands as proof that God answers prayers and shows mercy to whoever he deems fit.
******
The Viewfinder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
