ARA Review by swoverby of And Then I Met Margaret

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swoverby
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ARA Review by swoverby of And Then I Met Margaret

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[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, And Then I Met Margaret.]
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3 out of 5 stars
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AND THEN I MET MARGARET BY ROB WHITE

Reviewer - Susan Swanson

The lessons Rob White has learned throughout his life are the core of And Then I Met Margaret. Both people and experiences have influenced Mr. White's way of thinking and the book is an effort to pass on his newfound wisdom. His approach is to devote each chapter to a person or happening that exemplifies what he formerly believed, a "myth," as he calls it. Then, at the end of the chapter, he repeats the labeled myth he formerly believed before stating the new truth he has "discovered."

Having grown up in a small mill town where a college education was uncommon for everyone but the elites - and he was not an elite - he bucked the trend and, with a college degree, became a schoolteacher. That was only the beginning, however. He went on to become a successful real estate developer, an upscale restauranteur, and -- Ta Dah! -- a motivational speaker. Beyond that, he has traveled extensively and "gone for the gusto" in experiencing thrilling adventures.

For reasonable adults with normal intelligence, this book is a little too simple to be taken seriously. It may, however, offer hope to the unsophisticated, who are looking for a quick pick-me-up. Being that in some cases these "truths" are offered from the viewpoint of children, it may be that a younger group would benefit from reading it. That's not to say Mr. White's words have no value for the older set. In many cases they were right on. But then there were those instances where the reader may have felt insulted by the author's apparent assumption that he lacked plain old common sense.

One of the chapters that struck me as particularly absurd ended with, "The myth I believed: Magic happens randomly to me. The reality I discovered: Magic deliberately happens because of me." This statement is in itself a myth, a rosy conclusion drawn by someone who has likely never experienced untreatable disability or physical handicap. There is no magic to be conjured or created by simply thinking and acting positively in such cases. True, there may be some satisfaction in acting the brave martyr, but that is not "magic."

The funniest episode in the book is a scene on the stage in Las Vegas, where an embarrassing situation turns into something like a skit from "I Love Lucy." Reading this, I laughed with Mr. White as he laughed at himself. Self-deprecation seldom fails to please, and Mr. White uses it throughout the book, illustrating first the foolishness he formerly believed and then the truth he has since learned. Unfortunately, what he has learned is often simple common sense and the result of recurring and forced coincidences in which the author "proves" that what he has learned is gospel.

I liked the small town atmosphere at the beginning and the general upbeat attitude of And Then I Met Margaret, and I'm sure there are others who will find it inspirational.

Because the book could use some serious and insightful editing, I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

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