COOL STUFF

Chiacchia offers an illustrated anthology of favorite quotes, essays, and anecdotes.

In her slim nonfiction debut, the author presents readers with a book full of pithy observations from a wide variety of sources (from actress Mary Pickford: “What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down”) accompanied by vivid color photographs throughout. The format and tone of Chiacchia’s selections vary; she shifts from quick bites to longer pieces, including a touching tribute to her godmother, Shirley. Some of the included quotations are of dubious attribution, and others are silly, like this epigram from Albert Pike: “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal” (the world is full of enduring works—books, institutions, the Great Pyramids of Giza—that were created for the aggrandizement of single individuals). There’s also a strong Christian theme running throughout. Even in such a brief collection, some of the cliches and nostrums Chiacchia conveys feel either interchangeable or so bland as to be empty of content; it hardly matters whether or not Abraham Lincoln actually said “Whatever you are, be a good one” if the sentiment itself is essentially a greeting card message. And Chiacchia’s personal motto—“the only opinion of yourself that matters is your own”—might have a cozy self-help ring to it, but it’s unlikely she herself completely discounted the opinions of all the friends and loved ones who make appearances in these pages. Her book is on far firmer ground when she’s dispensing practical advice, about life in general or business in particular; she advises readers looking at any “shiny object” to ask: “Is it a good thing?” “Is it useful?” “Is it truthful?” Good tips, regardless of context.

A colorful and re-readable little handbook of uplifting (if sometimes hackneyed) sentiments.