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BOBBLEHEAD DAD by Jim Higley

BOBBLEHEAD DAD

25 Life Lessons I Forgot I Knew

by Jim Higley

Pub Date: June 1st, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-60832-142-1
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group

A cancer survivor shares insights spurred by his childhood that helped him redefine his outlook on life during his illness.

Higley writes a surprisingly relatable memoir to which anyone, not just those suffering to understand a bleak cancer diagnosis, can relate. His early life was shattered by the sudden death of his mother from brain cancer, and he also lost his father and one of his older brothers from the disease as well. A man intensely focused on work and his career, Higley writes how his illness allowed him time to reflect on his past and himself for the first time since childhood. Thoughtful and honest, the author provides solid advice on how to be introspective, unearth life lessons from childhood and apply them as an adult. He also writes of the strength he found in his relationship with his children. While Higley’s candor is sure to be appreciated, he outright refuses to discuss both his wife and their divorce—a jarring omission in an otherwise forthcoming book. The author relates his experiences as a cancer survivor with the obvious goal of attempting to inspire and help others in the same position; the book achieves this, and will likely resonate with the reader trying to console a friend or loved one as they deal with cancer.

Through frankness and plain talk, the author elevates the spirits of those facing a grim diagnosis.