The Traveler's Gift

I recently finished this Andy Andrews book, after having read The Final Summit first (which, chronologically comes after The Traveler's Gift).  The Traveler's Gift finds David Ponder at a life changing point in his life.  Having lost two jobs in a row, deep in debt, and with a child who needs surgery, he is at a heartbreaking, desperate point in his life.  In a mindless drive through the countryside trying to escape or make sense of his life, he has an auto accident.  What follows next is a very interesting trip "through time" during which he "visits" various people through the ages, and one notable "angel".  All of the people he visits have a "gift" for him; a message to help him on his way through life.  They are the Seven Decisions for Success.  Each person who gives him a message also has words of wisdom and stories to tell.  Mr. Andrews uses these personal stories from famous, and some not so famous people to impart advice on how we might improve our chances for personal success.    After receiving seven pieces of paper with the decisions written on them, David Ponder awakes in a hospital room with his concerned family and a doctor surrounding him.   He asks himself  "Was it all a dream?".   Upon going through his belongings brought to him, he finds a real memento that assures him it was not.

The Final Summit then finds a very successful David Ponder, much later in life, after he has tried to adhere to the Seven Decisions given him by the people he met on his "Travels".  Gabriel, who he met in The Traveler's Gift, comes to him with a strange request; an "eleventh hour" need to find an answer to a very pressing question.  David is then taken to the Summit where he meets many more of  History's notable personages and other "Travelers" and the group must work together to save humanity.

Either book alone is a good read, but together they weave a tale that gives us all points to ponder, and re-enforces guidelines that will help us achieve greater success in life....Another great book by Andy Andrews!

Finished Another Book!

I really do like Andy Andrews books.  Always nice to read something uplifting and promising, instead of all the "bad" news that inundates us these days.  I just bought a Nook Color and am going to search for the rest of his books that I haven't read yet and download them for those days I need a boost.  
I have this year been trying to catch up on the "electronic" age.  Some things I resisted for a long time, just on some general principle.  But, now I really enjoy my digital photo frame, and with the NOOK, feel like I have really "come up".  Next, maybe, a smart phone of sorts, but not ready for the additional monthly bill.  


THE FINAL SUMMIT
by Andy Andrews
 Having read other Andy Andrews books, I was looking forward to this one. I must now go back and read The Traveler's Gift, although this book does make sense alone. It is a participant event, so to speak.....I kept searching for the answer, along with the Traveler's, to the question posed by Gabriel. The overwhelming feeling after reading it is one of hope, faith, and just sheer pleasure, with a sprinkle of foreboding. It is very entertaining and enriching to read the interactions between the Travelers from different historical eras. I was always interested in Joan of Arc in my childhood, and of course Winston Churchill is "larger than life". Having Mother Theresa and C.S. Lewis at the same forum, along with Cleopatra, and Dr. Schweitzer among others, and hearing everyone's opinions on what the answer might be really makes it one of those books you want to read straight through. I agreed with all of the answers offered, and thought of some of my own; but of course, without the final answer, none of the others matter!

Long Time NO Post!

Didn't realize how really long it had been since I had posted something.  FaceBook seems to have taken over for the past several months.  But, here I am.  I have a book review to post and may be back later to post other thoughts and musings.
I recently finished Star Parker's Uncle Sam's Plantation.  It took me forever to finish it.  It has very interesting information, but my reading attention span has decreased over the past year.  I have been reading mainly magazines, and shorter online articles.  I think it has something to do with my sleep patterns.   Snore, Snore....but, here is my review.


I came to the close of Star Parker's book, UNCLE SAM'S PLANTATION, with some mixed feelings. I heartily endorse the "How Big Government Enslaves America's Poor and What We Can Do About It" statement, underneath the Title, but I do not wholeheartedly agree with some of her generalizations. She has definitely done her homework, including living in the situations she describes, and providing the reader with an impressive amount of research on her topics, which include, to name a few, What Is Poverty?, Liberals Hijack History, The Welfare State, and OPM (Other People's Money). She does a great job of showing how "Uncle Sam" has undermined the family, hijacked the dream of personal wealth for marginalized people, and contributed to the breakdown of societal mores. As a late 50'ish female who came from the "left" in my college years, to become a "liberal" in my middle years, and now a self proclaimed Libertarian, I found her analysis of the state of welfare and how our current social, economic, and political conditions have evolved, refreshing. I particularly liked Chapter 9, where she summarizes the Freedoms that we are losing and need to start protecting (Freedom in the Womb, Freedom in Education, Freedom in Health Care, Freedom in Retirement, to name a few). I think she does a disservice though, to the many honest, hard working, caring, moral people whom she excludes when she discusses the definition of Family. I have lived long enough, and seen enough different family "configurations" to know many such people who are positive contributors to society but that do not fit into her discussion of the Traditional Family; and I have seen more than enough "Traditional" Families that have not made a healthy imprint on society. To pull a few quotes from the author's last few pages......"Whoa! Wasn't this country supposed to be about freedom?", and "There's no substitute for the fruits of personal responsibility." Star Parker's book does a startling job of discussing those freedoms that we are in danger of losing, or have already lost, and the resulting consequences if we do not strive to protect them.