Book Review: How to Save Your Own Life
I have two criteria for rating Self Help books:
- How many quotes did I make note of to ponder further?
- Did it make me cry?
How to Save Your Own Life: 15 Lessons on Finding Hope in Unexpected Places, by Michael Gates Gill, scored high on both criteria.
I have fifteen quote markers. And I cried not once, but three or four times. Granted, I am perimenopausal and I cry during commercials, but four times for a 175 page book is saying something.
Michael Gates Gill is the author of the bestseller How Starbucks Saved My Life, in which he chronicles his riches to rags story. After losing his six-digit figure salary, his marriage, and his health, he found happiness where he least expected to, as an employee at Starbucks.
In How to Save Your Own Life, Michael Gill distils the lessons he learned into an inspirational book. And what I found very refreshing about this particular self-help guide is Mr. Gill’s honesty and frankness. Bottom line, he was a pretty conceited fellow, born into a privileged life, with an Ivy League education and a high powered corporate career handed to him on the proverbial silver platter.
He makes no bones about this. As a matter of fact, the comparison of his life then to his life now form the basis of his lessons. Long hours and high pay versus part time job and low pay. Never seeing his adult children grow up versus spending the early hours of each morning one on one with a son conceived very late in life. Taking his health for granted versus living with a brain tumour. Large mansion and a family Summer residence to a tiny, sparsely furnished apartment.
Each comparison is discussed with thoughtful candour.
No earth shattering revelations, just basic truths, which is why I spent so much time crying. Simple words of wisdom that really hit home and inspired me.
A good number of the lessons in the book, I had already learned myself and implemented. For example, money and career are not the be all and end all. I requested a demotion at work, and I am much happier for that decision. But, although I might have already made similar mindset and lifestyle changes as described in How to Save Your Own Life, I still found aspects of my life that can be improved upon.
How to Save Your Own Life is an extremely enjoyable and inspirational read. It’s a reminder that we need to slow down and really think about what is truly important to us.
Suggested reading:
How Starbucks Saved My Life and How to Save Your Own life are available for purchase through Amazon by clicking the Silver & Grace book recommendations.
To find out what other people are saying about this book, check out the following TLC Book Tour reviews:
January 4: MidLifeBloggers
January 5: Life and Times of a “New” New Yorker
January 7: The Written World
January 12: TexasRed Books
January 13: It’s All A Matter of Perspective
January 14: A Novel Menagarie
January 15: Nanny Goats in Panties
January 19: Stephanie’s Confessions of a Book-A-Holic
January 20: Thoughts of an Evil Overlord
January 26: Inventing My Life
Eliza, what a lovely and thoughtful review. Thank you so much for the time and energy that went into reading and reviewing How To Save Your Own Life. It is greatly appreciated!
@Lisa – again, a pleasure. I look forward to more TLC books to review.