Review of From The A Train to Ph.D.

[Sharill Rasowo]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "From The A Train to Ph.D." by Michael P. Williams.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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From The A Train to Ph.D. by Michael P. Williams is a memoir about his journey from living on the streets to earning a Ph.D. In the book, he tackles the various happenings in his life. He talks about various stages of his life such as life with his mother, and life in a group home after his mother's death. He also talks about living on the streets, his gambling addiction, and finally, getting his life together. In the book, various subjects are tackled such as homelessness, addiction, OCD, depression, and so on. Dr. Williams takes us through his life and the struggles he faces even after achieving what many would term success.

I liked how candid he was about his life. This was particularly clear when he talked about his mother. You could tell that he loved her but was well aware of her flaws. He was very open about her struggles and how they influenced his life. He was also very open about the struggles his siblings faced. He did not sugarcoat anything, but at the same time, the love he felt for them was abundantly clear.

I was amazed at how even when he struggled, he was very aware of his faults. He could identify his problems even at the beginning when he did not have a solution for them. They say the first step to solving a problem is properly defining it. He was able to do this in the book, which impressed me. He was open about his gambling addiction and how it will be a life-long pursuit to deal with it.

I liked that he explained all the resources he used to help him out of his predicaments. They ranged from people such as his other mother Mary and his tax accountant Phil, books he read, therapy, mentors, and so on. He demonstrated that help can come from any quarter as long as we look hard enough. This is very important as many people struggle to find a place to start in terms of fixing their lives.

I enjoyed the message of hope that was woven throughout the text. Various gems of wisdom were scattered throughout the book. He talked about always being prepared in case an opportunity presents itself, being confident, maintaining your reputation, to name just a few. I found this valuable, as it is advice one can act upon.

I did not find anything to dislike in the book. It had me in tears at some point, as it resonated with me. I found myself encouraged at the end of the book. The book seems to be professionally edited as I found very few errors. I would highly recommend this book to anyone battling addiction, having a mental health crisis, or just in need of a feeling of hope. The author’s journey will inspire you and encourage you on your journey. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it was very moving. I think it achieved its purpose of encouraging others.

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From The A Train to Ph.D.
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[Vidhi Adhikari]

I like picking up autobiographies once in a while and would definitely read this one in the future. Sounds like an interesting journey of the writer and I would love to know more about it.

[RHD]

This one seems like a must read. Memoirs are usually raw and real. Thank you for such an insightful review!