A funeral director’s heartfelt, poignant, and vivid insights into what makes life worth living.
An unlikely source delivers a variety of life lessons.
In his nonfiction debut, Meyer draws on his 14 years as the owner of a funeral home in order to distill lessons about life he’s learned from people dealing with death. His experiences have sprawled all over the map: “I have seen horrific, absolutely horrific, things, smelled smells that are unimaginable, cried with friends and strangers, and witnessed unspeakable tragedy, heartache, and death all too often for one human being.” In fast-paced and involving chapters, the author mixes stories from his long experience of coping with grieving and personal vignettes to create a big picture view of the important things in life. He recounts winningly honest personal experiences, including, of course, the time he moved to Northern California and bought a funeral home. “In my eyes,” he reflects, “there is no greater time to grow and become strong than when you have no other option—the last resort.” He gives advice on 20 major turning points or elements in life, from loving your parents and falling in love to coping with heartache, encountering health setbacks, and enduring inevitable aging. He urges his readers to work hard to avoid boring rituals. “If your day becomes routine,” he writes simply, “your life will be shorter.” And he relates each of these turning points to a period in his own life or the experiences of his customers over the years at the funeral home. Many of these tales are touching and some are funny (for instance, the widow who wanted her professional clown husband to be buried in his clown suit). And all are followed by “Reminders,” key takeaway points like “Take risks”; “Without failure, how can you appreciate success?”; and “Your gut is the greatest barometer you will ever have.” Meyer’s approachable writing style guarantees that readers will be both moved and entertained.
A funeral director’s heartfelt, poignant, and vivid insights into what makes life worth living.Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73334-431-9
Page Count: 234
Publisher: Meaning of Life Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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