There are only two reasons to read a book of essays: either for enjoyment or for learning. "A Place to Start" provides both.
Jim Grey's book collects 49 short essays about roads, bridges, relationships, adventures, and lessons learned. He groups his essays in three sections: Stories, Essays, and Faith. Many of his stories include dazzling color photos of the off-beat locations where they took place.
The stories are mostly autobiographical, but like all good biography, they contain lots of insight about life. One insight that recurs in several stories is that, as the saying goes, "wherever you go, there you are." To fix some of our problems, we first need to fix ourselves. We can learn from his experiences, just as he did.
Other stories are just fun to read, such as "Adventures to Come" and "Wanted by the FBI" (spoiler: he wasn't really in trouble).
His "Essays" and "Faith" sections give challenging reflections about his experiences with other people and with God. He laments the fact that modern business often cares less about quality than short-term profit. He finds that God provides inspiration and strength but that He won't solve our problems for us. God expects us to do our part.
Overall, the book provides an inspiring sojourn through good times and bad with a person who thinks deeply about what they mean. It doesn't provide all the answers, but it's A Place to Start.
Full disclosure: I used to work for Jim Grey, and he is one of the finest people I've known. Nevertheless, I've made this review as honest as I can because Jim would want nothing less.
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N.S. Palmer
Life Lessons from the Road
Reviewed in the United States on 12 November 2020
N.S. Palmer
Reviewed in the United States on 12 November 2020
Jim Grey's book collects 49 short essays about roads, bridges, relationships, adventures, and lessons learned. He groups his essays in three sections: Stories, Essays, and Faith. Many of his stories include dazzling color photos of the off-beat locations where they took place.
The stories are mostly autobiographical, but like all good biography, they contain lots of insight about life. One insight that recurs in several stories is that, as the saying goes, "wherever you go, there you are." To fix some of our problems, we first need to fix ourselves. We can learn from his experiences, just as he did.
Other stories are just fun to read, such as "Adventures to Come" and "Wanted by the FBI" (spoiler: he wasn't really in trouble).
His "Essays" and "Faith" sections give challenging reflections about his experiences with other people and with God. He laments the fact that modern business often cares less about quality than short-term profit. He finds that God provides inspiration and strength but that He won't solve our problems for us. God expects us to do our part.
Overall, the book provides an inspiring sojourn through good times and bad with a person who thinks deeply about what they mean. It doesn't provide all the answers, but it's A Place to Start.
Full disclosure: I used to work for Jim Grey, and he is one of the finest people I've known. Nevertheless, I've made this review as honest as I can because Jim would want nothing less.
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Christopher J. May
Heartfelt Stories Along the Road of Life
Reviewed in the United States on 26 November 2020