Bookwise Book Reviews

Leaders are READERS!!

An important part of ‘Being Bookwise’ is READING! 

I have created a separate ‘My Favorite Books’ Review Blog.  Please Click Here to visit the new blog and see what books I am reading and have read and to share thoughts about the books you are reading.

See you there–

The Angel Inside

The Angel Inside is a wonderful story about a man who is unhappy with his life and goes to Italy to ‘find himself.’  On the last day of his visit he meets a man who takes him on a personal tour of Il Gigante, The David, and teaches him some very valuable lessons.  This is a fun little read– a small book that goes quickly but is chockful of GREAT information!

I have already written a rather lengthy review on Gather.com, so I will just give you the links to those.    It has 3 parts.  Enjoy!

Part 1:  http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977056565

Part 2:  http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977056568

Part 3:  http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977056575

Other books by Chris Widener

Richest Man in Babylon

This is another great book about finances with a WEALTH of good information.  There was one quote I particularly liked.  Back in 1926 Mr. Clason wrote Arkad, the Richest Man in Babylon saying, “In my mind rests a belief that some day wise-thinking men will devise a plan to insure against death whereby many men pay in but a trifling sum regularly, the aggregate making a handsome sum for the family of each member who passeth to the beyond. This do I see as something desirable and which I could highly recommend. But today it is not possible . . . some day do I feel that such a plan shall come to pass and be a great blessing to many men, because even the first small payment will make available a snug fortune for the family of a member should he pass on.” (pg. 38)

Could he have been envisioning network marketing? It sure sounds like it to me. I absolutely LOVE that last sentence because it is soooo true! Looking at my own situation– based on my efforts with Bookwise over the past 4 months my monthly residual income (from my own organization and matching commissions) is only at about $175/month so far, which isn’t that much– BUT, that $175 per month is for the rest of my life (and beyond). If I live for another 30 years that’s $63,000 I made in the past 4 months. If I live another 50 years (which I plan to do!) that’s over $100,000. And, of course, now I have 120 people out there working with me to build OUR Bookwise business, so that’s not even a true picture of the value of the work I’ve put in during the past 4 months.   [UPDATE:  After 6 months the monthly is just under $400/month and there are more than 225 people on my team.  We are set to absolutely EXPLODE!!]

So truly — “even the first small payment (of $35) will make (has made) available a snug fortune for the (my) family . . . (whether I remain alive or) should (I) pass on.”

Gotta love Bookwise– and can’t help thinking that George Clason knew what he was talking about!!

In An Instant

This incredible book, written by Lee and Bob Woodruff, is the story of Bob Woodruff, ABC News Anchor, that was embedded with the army in Iraq and injured when an IED (improvised explosive device) went off near the tank he was riding in.  It is an incredible story of survival and a family’s journey of love, teamwork, and healing.

As always– there were so many different angles that had a huge impact on me.  First of all– it really put my current challenge in perspective.  What’s a little betrayal (okay– a BIG betrayal) when compared to a family struggling with the very real possibility of losing their husband and father to death?  We see tv personalities and assume that their lives must be peachy as they go through life with their cushy jobs, etc.  However, as Lee (Bob’s wife) shared some of her struggles and ‘bad days’ I couldn’t help thinking how blessed I have been.  My life has been pretty darn magical when compared to what some have been called to bear.

Still– there were some incredible quotes that stood out to me as I experience my current challenge of having been betrayed.  For starters, Lee says, “You can’t know how you would behave in a crisis until it drops out of the sky and knocks you down like a bandit: stealing your future, robbing you of your dreams, and mocking anything that resembles certainty.  Sudden tragic events and even slow-burning disasters teach us more about ourselves than most of us care to know.”  I was grateful to realize that I have handled my current ‘bomb’ with patience and love in spite of the hurt and injustice.  While every once in awhile I have the urge to take revenge and strike out at those who have succumbed to hate and envy and behaved badly, I have learned a lot about myself as I have been able to calm the rage inside and move back to a place of peace and joy in knowing that I can and will remain Christ-like in the face of injustice.  After all— in the end if I haven’t chosen Christ, it won’t matter what I have chosen.  I’m not willing to trade my eternal peace and joy for a little justice and redemption here on earth.  People will have to believe whatever they are going to believe– betrayal by others is one thing— I will not betray myself!!

I also found hope in Lee’s observation that ” . . . as trite as it may sound, time really is the ultimate healer.  No matter how black the hours, light, laughter and feeling will slowly begin to trickle back one day . . . But I also learned the scar is always there . . . there are no shortcuts to healing.  There is no circumventing the pain.  To really heal you must walk right through the blazing core of grief and face it head on, every agonizing day.  Only then can you begin to take baby steps to recovery.  Grief is an alchemist.  It will change you, morph you into someone more sympathetic, more aware of what is precious, and more clearly able to see your priorities.”  The reality is that I will never be the same again– because of the experience of the past 10 days I will be forever a better person.  The experience has stretched me and pushed me beyond mere forgiveness to being able to see others as Christ sees them, to love them wherever they are, and to ache for their pain that leads them to betray themselves and their highest good.

I was acutely aware of the way my heart bristled against the comment, “Misfortune and trouble can find you at any time.  The part of me that believed in the order of the world, that decent people triumph and good deeds are rewarded, was shaken hard . . . After that, a little part of me, deep in my heart’s scar tissue, would always remain watcheful, like a sentinel, waiting for the other shoe to drop.”  While the first part range true to the very core for me, I was also so aware of how I don’t want to go through life not trusting.  While I have had moments of feeling that every vestige of trust I had was stripped from me and I could never trust again– I don’t want to go through life not trusting.  I must  put my trust in the Lord and trust that He will carry me through whatever learning opportunities present themselves in my life and that I will be okay.  If I can trust in the Lord, then I can trust humans again– knowing that everything is as it should be and all good comes to me in perfect timing and sequence.  Even when it seems that people are untrustworthy– even when people ARE untrustworthy– faith in Him can allow me to trust the imperfect humans I share this earthly space with and express gratitude for they role they play in my journey.

I’m not proud to admit it, but I found great comfort in Lee’s sharing of a night when she lost it and behaved in a less than perfect manner for a mother.  As a single mother I have had moments that I would prefer had never happened.  There was an odd sense of comeraderie to know that I wasn’t the only mother who has ever felt  like I just couldn’t take one more moment!

The last quote is perhaps the best of all— “We’ve had more than our share of happy times, wonderful times, laughter to fill buckets and joy enough to burst a human heart . . . life is not so ulike the evening news.  It’s nice to end the story with a happy kicker, a piece that makes us all feel good inside . . . But the moments that define us, that strip us down to raw bone and cartilage and build us back up: they are the tough ones . . . I believe how we attack those curve balls is the stuff of life; they count just as much as the good times.  Perhaps there are lessons there, lessons for others who will hit the gritty pavement of life, often when they least expect it.”  Yes— these next few weeks are the moments that define me– if only for me.  If I am the only one who ever knows the truth and sees this experience for what it is– that is enough– that is the stuff of life and will see me through the future and lead me to heights I never could have achieved without this ‘exercise.’

“You can’t make deals, barter, or trade to spare one another . . . you can only hold faith and hope in equal measures in your heart, and in the end you can teach yourself how best to endure and then to survive and overcome . . . and so we have to choose to laugh and keep smiling.  We have to hope that there is always something better around the corner . . . we have to dig down, to believe unfailingly in the ability of the human spirit to triumph in ways we didn’t think possible.  To make the choice to be resilient, ultimately to bounce back, is to make the choice to be grateful, as grateful as possible for the cards you have been dealt.”

Life is a choice, and the moment of power is always in the present moment.  Now is the time I get to choose– how to respond, how to think, how to feel about this circumstance and those that have betrayed me.  I can not control their thoughts, feelings or actions— but I CAN choose how I feel about it and how I perceive my current situation.  I get to create my reality by choosing my thoughts and feelings about the things in my life.

Thank you, Lee and Bob, for sharing your story of pain and healing and triumph.  For making the choice to be resilient, that you could share with me at this important juncture the insight and strength and love that you picked up along your journey.  Best wishes as you continue on your journey of healing–your sharing has helped to ease the pain of my own path through darkness.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt that life has dealt them a challenge they cannot bear.  My guess is that in comparison the load will be light.  At the same time— even though your pain may seem minute compared to the life and death situation the Woodruff’s experienced– it is very real.  The pain is real, the darkness is real, the feeling of suffocation and inability to go on is very real.  Go through the pain– face it head on– and come out on the other side stronger, better prepared, and with a heart filled with gratitude for life, friends, and love!

The Wednesday Letters

Last night I read The Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright.  What a wonderful story of love and commitment; forgiveness and redemption.  A beautiful story line entertwines the pain of the past with the challenges of the present; the example of loving and devoted parents with the discovery of some of their deepest, darkest secrets; the loss of death opens the window to knowledge of things that turn the world upside down, if only for a moment. The example of the Wednesday letters will lead many of us to write more letters– to reach out and to communicate with loved ones even during the rough spots.

The message of this book was particularly timely and healing for me personally.  It was a story of betrayal and pain; healing and forgiveness; rebirth and change; and in the end it was revealed that things are not always as they appear to be– even that which appears to be rock solid ‘proof’ can turn out to be misperceptions or even ‘planted’ and ‘contrived.’  It is absolutely amazing to realize what humans are capable of doing to each other when human emotions take over.  I have spent this past week focusing on love and forgiveness in the wake of one of the most painful and far reaching betrayals of my life.  I have spent literally hours learning to love and forgive those who have such malice towards me in their hearts for injustices I have yet to understand or be notified of.

As always, these experiences have also led to some incredibly beautiful and life-changing personal experiences as well and has opened a new chapter of my life.  Sometimes when it is too difficult to stand you have no choice but to kneel;  it is a humbling, but beautiful experience to have to rely 100% on a higher power and allow Him to carry you until your feet become steady once again.  Only going to such incredibly great depths of pain can lead to such heights of progress and joy (that I know will come eventually).  As the book winds up and the ‘truth’ comes to light I found the tears flowing, not only for the characters in the book who had finally achieved some resolution after literally YEARS of waste and unnecessary pain, but for myself– for the losses of the past week which are very real, in spite of the gains; for the knowledge that it can take time– even years– for the full truth to come to light and a name to be cleared of false accusations; for the emotional release of realizing that you are not the only one that has ever gone through the experience, and in fact, others have suffered far more.  While I realize that the book is fictional, it is written in such a way that it is very real and you know that others have indeed experienced similar circumstances.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever loved, who has ever hurt, and who has ever wondered if the sun would ever shine again.

Think and Grow Rich

The most quoted book on success of all time!  I will include a full review shortly.  Meanwhile– here is a special offer to help you get the most from this book:

The complete Think and Grow Rich book on audio, recorded on CD. Plus an entire seminar also recorded on CD walking you through each and every success principle taken from this amazing book.

To learn more, Click Here