Thursday, October 8, 2009

The Traveler's Gift

I don't really seem to be sewing much lately, but I have been reading a ton. I love to read and always have, but lately I seem to finish one book and within the hour I have started another one. Almost like I'm searching for something, but I don't know what I'm looking for and the books I'm reading don't really seemed to linked to each other. So as of right now I'll continue to read and enjoy my time with my books.
Last night I finished The Traveler's Gift. I have to admit I wasn't to keen on reading this book, but I did at the insistence of my boss. I did enjoy this book, but it seemed to take me longer to read than most books of this size. It was almost like I had to digest what was said in each chapter. The main character of David Ponder could be anyone, especially during this trying economic time. (As a side note I find it interesting that this book is coming out in paperback right now.) He is having both a financial and personnal crisis and he travels in time to meet leaders from the past to find out what made them great. He caries this wisdom with him to help him become a great leader. I would highly recommend this book to a recent graduate.

From Amazon.com:

Christian author and motivational speaker Andrews effectively combines self-help with fiction to catch readers' interest, sustaining momentum while simultaneously passing on instructions for positive thinking. With his can-do style, Andrews (Storms of Perfection; Tales from Sawyerton Springs) tells the allegorical tragedy of one David Ponder, whose woes begin when he loses his job, his confidence and essentially his drive for living. After a succession of losses, Ponder is rendered unconscious after a car accident, and is magically transported into seven key points in history. At each stopping point, he is met by historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank, King Solomon, Harry Truman and Christopher Columbus, each of whom imparts one of the seven key decisions that Andrews asserts are essential for personal success. After his travel through time, Ponder regains consciousness in a hospital and discovers he is holding letters given to him by the various heroes. The letters offer familiar self-help counsel: accept that the buck stops with you, become a wisdom seeker and a person of action, determine to be happy, open the day with a forgiving spirit, and persist despite all odds. Although Andrews writes from a Christian perspective, his overall message (trust that God is sovereign, but do your part in making your future happen) will ring true with a broad spectrum of inspirational readers. Some astute thinkers may be put off by the simplistic story line, but Andrews does an exemplary job at providing positive suggestions for overcoming life's obstacles.

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