4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
I thoroughly enjoyed reading and re-reading the book, And Then I Met Margaret by Rob White. There are many personal, motivational and inspirational stories of the author, written in a conversational and easy-to-read style in this book. The stories are interesting, funny and thought-provoking.
From growing up in a small mill town in America to adventures of racing cars, running with the bulls, and flying in an acrobatic plane, Rob White has captured many of life’s lessons in the book, And Then I Met Margaret. The author shares his many life experiences from his odd jobs, college days and first career of being a teacher, to his life of entrepreneur days of real estate developer, restaurant owner, motivational speaker and author.
After acquiring outward wealth and success, the author spent time and money on searching for inner happiness and wealth. I could identify with him as he shared in the introduction, all the motivational and inspirational teachers he met and books he had read. He then ties in much of what those "gurus" taught, with his own "unexpected gurus" all through his life that helped him understand himself and life.
Each chapter started out with a myth that he held. Then the author related a story or two that helped him to experience a reality that changed the way he thought and believed. The main lesson that I received from this book is to remain open to anyone or anything that comes into my life that may challenge a limiting belief that I may have and be willing to change.
I liked the story about his Aunt Theresa and the lesson on kindness and love. I also liked the story about the candy on being honest. I especially liked Chapter 16, "It’s Just Me". This was such a funny story and such an important lesson to learn to be true to yourself and to be authentic. The author used such funny expressions and descriptions of the experience that gave me a vivid picture in my mind of the happening.
I least liked Chapter 19, "The Maasai Mother" that dealt with death and a chant to the sun. Even though the author was able to get a good lesson from his experience, it did not leave me, as a reader, with a good feeling. There wasn't anything else that I didn't like about the book unless the fact that it could be a much longer book. I would be interested in reading other books by Rob White.
What I liked most about the book is that through using stories, I didn’t feel like the author was trying to teach but to share. I really liked the personal stories the author shared and how he related and connected his experiences to each other at different times of his life. This book was put together in a very creative way to share important lessons in life through stories. The author touched on things such as breaking traditions, working hard, finding your true self, being positive, having integrity and being honest. Each story had a purpose and a deeper meaning that made me, as a reader, want to probe deeper into my own life. Therefore, I rate this book, And Then I Met Margaret, 4 out of 4 stars. I would not rate it a 3 out of 4 stars because it has all the makings of what I consider to be a great book to read. This book is personal, funny, interesting, and loaded with meaning. It was well edited, with only a few errors.
This book would appeal most to people who, like me, have been through some of the same experiences of life and can identify with the author on their search for life’s meaning and purpose. People who are interested in what attitudes we should have to succeed in life would also be interested in this book.
This book would appeal least to people who are not interested in other people's stories to learn something about their own beliefs. Very young people may not be able to relate to his stories quite yet. They may not recognize or value the wisdom in this book until they are at least out on their own. Though, if willing to read this book, it may help them to understand not only more about an older generation but some life lessons that they will surely go through themselves.
******
And Then I Met Margaret
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like LV2R's review? Post a comment saying so!
