Synopses & Reviews
There's nothing better than a book you can't put down—or better yet, a book you'll never forget. This book puts the power of transformational reading into your hands. Jack Canfield, cocreator of the bestselling
Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, and self-actualization pioneer Gay Hendricks have invited notable people to share personal stories of books that changed their lives. What book shaped their outlook and habits? Helped them navigate rough seas? Spurred them to satisfaction and success?
The contributors include Dave Barry, Stephen Covey, Malachy McCourt, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Mark Victor Hansen, John Gray, Christiane Northrup, Bernie Siegel, Craig Newmark, Michael E. Gerber, Lou Holtz, and Pat Williams, to name just a few. Their richly varied stories are poignant, energizing, and entertaining.Author and actor Malachy McCourt tells how a tattered biography of Gandhi, stumbled on in his youth, offered a shining example of true humility—and planted the seeds that would help support his sobriety decades later.
Bestselling author and physician Bernie Siegel, M.D., tells how William Saroyan's The Human Comedy helped him realize that, in order to successfully treat his patients with life-threatening illnesses, "I had to help them live—not just prevent them from dying."
Actress Catherine Oxenberg reveals how, at a life crossroads and struggling with bulimia, a book taught her the transforming difference one person could make in the life of another—and why that person for her was Richard Burton.
Rafe Esquith, the award-winning teacher whose inner-city students have performed Shakespeare all over the world, recounts his deep self-doubt in the midst of his success—and how reading To Kill a Mockingbird strengthened him to continue teaching.
Beloved librarian and bestselling author Nancy Pearl writes how, at age ten, Robert Heinlein's science fiction book Space Cadet impressed on her the meaning of personal integrity and gave her a vision of world peace she'd never imagined possible. Two years later, she marched in her first civil rights demonstration and learned that there's always a way to make "a small contribution to intergalactic harmony."
If you're looking for insight and illumination—or simply for that next great book to read—You've Got to Read This Book! has treasures in store for you.
Review
“This must-read is sure to provide inspiration, motivation, and a springboard for discussion.” Booklist
Review
“This inspiring, thought-provoking, and nostalgic collection is highly recommended.” Library Journal
Review
“More uplifting than literary, but readers may find the book that turns them on the way these contributors were.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“This is good stuff and as satisfying as a bowl of steaming soup on a cold winter day.” Tucson Citizen
Review
“Its the kind of inspirational book that will probably bring back memories of your own pleasures.” Dallas Morning News
Synopsis
We all have memories of a book that stirred mind and soul; that became more resonant over time. When a book sweeps us away, we remember and tell people. Sharing the experience is a double gift: it reveals us meaningfully while extending the possibility of pleasure and insight to others. YOU'VE GOT TO READ THIS BOOK! is just such a double gift. In it, some of today's most interesting and prominent people share the books that have been transformational to them, and why. Readers will encounter wellandndash;known names in personal motivation, business, entertainment, and more, such as Malachy McCourt, Christiane Northrup, M.D., Dave Barry, Stephen Covey, Mark Victor Hansen, and John Gray, among others, as well as Canfield and Hendricks themselves. These essays will inspire, inform, and motivate readers to recall and pursue their own transforming experiences with books, charting a path to a more resonant life.
About the Author
Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles,is the cocreator of the phenomenal #1 New York Timesbestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul®series, which currently has more than 100 million copies in print. He is America's leading expert in creating success breakthroughs for entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, managers, sales professionals, employees, and educators, and has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals achieve their dreams. A popular radio and TV talk show guest, he is also a syndicated columnist and has developed a nationally syndicated radio show. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.