KIRKUS REVIEW
A thoughtfully constructed guide to leaving a legacy.
Writer/consultant Weijo was struck by “the power and importance of legacy” by three events: the birth of his granddaughter, learning he had cancer, and the discovery of old coins collected by himself, his wife and their parents. This led him to formulate his own process for creating a legacy “focused on helping future generations avoid missteps and guiding them with the knowledge and heritage of past generations.” In this brief yet informative guide, Weijo first talks about the meaning of legacy and then explores the effect one’s ancestors can have on future generations through a novel example: Barack Obama. “It was a very complex legacy provided from two different continents,” Weijo writes. “Such a rich legacy our president was given by those who came before him.” Weijo acknowledges that other factors also influenced Obama’s rise to the presidency, but the impact of his ancestry is nothing if not intriguing. Next, Weijo adeptly covers the benefits derived from creating a legacy, guiding the reader through the legacy creation process: how to decide on scope, determine themes and recipients, select gifts and create action plans, etc. The author makes a salient point along the way: “Legacy gifts do not have to be just money or property; remember to also share your values and wisdom.” In fact, Weijo describes how he used the coins he found as the basis for an ongoing collection that both represents his family’s timeline and gives him the opportunity to educate his granddaughter about such good ideas as investing for the long term. Included in the book, and on a companion website, are useful forms—input worksheets and legacy theme worksheets—to help facilitate the creation of a legacy plan. Weijo appends his own legacy plan as a detailed example for the reader. Interspersed throughout his book are quality black-and-white photos, captionless but presumably of some of Weijo’s family members.
Clear, concise, and well-written; a finely crafted manual offering instructive and valuable assistance to those who want to leave a lasting legacy.
