by Terence Simmons ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2010
A clear, no-nonsense distillation of one person’s guidelines for leading a more satisfying life.
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The author outlines his belief in the value of willpower, hard work and making the most of one’s time, and supports his views with incidents from his own life.
After a pair of tragedies early in life—a debilitating sports injury and the murder of a younger brother—Simmons became determined to make the most of his life. After a period of reflection, he opted for a relentless application of willpower, which he defines as “resolutely controlling your behaviors” in order to achieve a goal. Simmons believes that by using willpower to overcome the “lazy bug,” by making the most of one’s time, and by acknowledging weakness while still trying “to stay as close to the perfect side as possible,” the reader can lead a productive life, while achieving personal and professional goals. Simmons outlines and elaborates on this approach, citing examples from his own life and listing concrete steps that can be taken in order to maximize one’s potential. Written as one extended, almost manifestolike essay, the guide brims with passion and energy. Concepts are introduced via key terms, which are defined, then exemplified with anecdotal incidents from the author’s life. The idea that willpower and effective time management lead to success is not new; however, the author presents his philosophy clearly. While the autobiographical examples can appear self-aggrandizing, the intentions are pure, and the author truly wants to improve the reader’s lot. The prose is simple but effective; however, metaphors tend toward overextension, and advice that addicts need only muster up willpower to overcome addiction is simplistic. Still, while there are few new ideas, many may find inspiration in Simmons’ concise, enthusiastic statement of his commonsense beliefs.
A clear, no-nonsense distillation of one person’s guidelines for leading a more satisfying life.Pub Date: May 19, 2010
ISBN: 978-0984397105
Page Count: 69
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Sloane Crosley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 27, 2024
A marvelously tender memoir on suicide and loss.
An essayist and novelist turns her attention to the heartache of a friend’s suicide.
Crosley’s memoir is not only a joy to read, but also a respectful and philosophical work about a colleague’s recent suicide. “All burglaries are alike, but every burglary is uninsured in its own way,” she begins, in reference to the thief who stole the jewelry from her New York apartment in 2019. Among the stolen items was her grandmother’s “green dome cocktail ring with tiers of tourmaline (think kryptonite, think dish soap).” She wrote those words two months after the burglary and “one month since the violent death of my dearest friend.” That friend was Russell Perreault, referred to only by his first name, her boss when she was a publicist at Vintage Books. Russell, who loved “cheap trinkets” from flea markets, had “the timeless charm of a movie star, the competitive edge of a Spartan,” and—one of many marvelous details—a “thatch of salt-and-pepper hair, seemingly scalped from the roof of an English country house.” Over the years, the two became more than boss and subordinate, teasing one another at work, sharing dinners, enjoying “idyllic scenes” at his Connecticut country home, “a modest farmhouse with peeling paint and fragile plumbing…the house that Windex forgot.” It was in the barn at that house that Russell took his own life. Despite the obvious difference in the severity of robbery and suicide, Crosley fashions a sharp narrative that finds commonality in the dislocation brought on by these events. The book is no hagiography—she notes harassment complaints against Russell for thoughtlessly tossed-off comments, plus critiques of the “deeply antiquated and often backward” publishing industry—but the result is a warm remembrance sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced loss.
A marvelously tender memoir on suicide and loss.Pub Date: Feb. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9780374609849
Page Count: 208
Publisher: MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023
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by Matthew McConaughey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 20, 2020
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.
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All right, all right, all right: The affable, laconic actor delivers a combination of memoir and self-help book.
“This is an approach book,” writes McConaughey, adding that it contains “philosophies that can be objectively understood, and if you choose, subjectively adopted, by either changing your reality, or changing how you see it. This is a playbook, based on adventures in my life.” Some of those philosophies come in the form of apothegms: “When you can design your own weather, blow in the breeze”; “Simplify, focus, conserve to liberate.” Others come in the form of sometimes rambling stories that never take the shortest route from point A to point B, as when he recounts a dream-spurred, challenging visit to the Malian musician Ali Farka Touré, who offered a significant lesson in how disagreement can be expressed politely and without rancor. Fans of McConaughey will enjoy his memories—which line up squarely with other accounts in Melissa Maerz’s recent oral history, Alright, Alright, Alright—of his debut in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, to which he contributed not just that signature phrase, but also a kind of too-cool-for-school hipness that dissolves a bit upon realizing that he’s an older guy on the prowl for teenage girls. McConaughey’s prep to settle into the role of Wooderson involved inhabiting the mind of a dude who digs cars, rock ’n’ roll, and “chicks,” and he ran with it, reminding readers that the film originally had only three scripted scenes for his character. The lesson: “Do one thing well, then another. Once, then once more.” It’s clear that the author is a thoughtful man, even an intellectual of sorts, though without the earnestness of Ethan Hawke or James Franco. Though some of the sentiments are greeting card–ish, this book is entertaining and full of good lessons.
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-13913-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
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