by D. Anthony ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2007
Words to live by.
A man shares the wisdom and inspiration he’s collected throughout his life.
Anthony doesn’t just file away bits of insight whenever he happens upon them; he seeks them out, initiating conversations with other people about life and their own experiences and outlook. In this collection of short essays, the author shares these ideas and stories and what they have meant to him, in hopes that they will inspire others. He argues that successful people largely create their own luck by how they respond to the circumstances around them. Conversely, those who feel that only bad things happen to them help fulfill their own prophecy through their attitude and expectations. Though he was deeply grieved by his mother’s death, the author decided to write this book to work through that pain, to turn that experience into something positive and to help others find better ways to respond to life’s challenges. He asserts that one can begin to change his or her life simply by altering how one looks at each day–as a grind or as an opportunity. He urges readers to appreciate the time they have and to make the most of it by improving themselves and helping others to do so as well. Many of his discussions are illustrated by stories in which he learned something new from someone in his daily life, or he attempted to turn someone around toward a more positive outlook. The essays are interspersed with poems, which offer more emotionally charged meditations on similar themes. He concludes with slightly more stern chapters, addressing how many people approach self-help books as quick fixes, arguing that changing one’s life requires a constant commitment. An outgrowth of his website, SomethingToShare.com, this succeeds because the author’s advice is directly derived from his own experience. Some may perceive his values as old-fashioned, however, particularly those about children and parenting.
Words to live by.Pub Date: May 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0931761-25-5
Page Count: 220
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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