3 out of 4 stars
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Life as it Happens 2000-2005 by Howard Mack is a delightful narrative depicting the life adventures of the author. This installment includes two stories. The first tells of Mack’s year experiencing homelessness after facing the calming down of the dot com boom. He worked in IT and people were getting laid off by the thousands. He eventually ran out of money and moved to Montreal. He describes his experiences trying to maintain welfare, dealing with other homeless people stealing his things, and trying to find refuge in shelters.
The second story takes place several years later. The author was able to find a job and a fiancée. After saving some money he had an itch to travel. He decides he wants to spend a day in Paris. With his one way ticket and a pocket full of cash he heads to France. As soon as he arrives, he discovers that traveling abroad without a plan is not quite the kind of adventure he was hoping for. He faces several trials that require the help of the French police and the Canadian consulate.
When I first read the title of this book I thought it was going to be a historical narrative of events that happened in 2000-2005 in Montreal and Paris. I was delighted that it was more personal than a general history. It had the feel of reading out of someone’s journal. The writing felt conversational; as if I was sitting and listening to the author tell his stories. The style of writing and the way he subtly addresses the reader made me empathize with the author.
There was not much to dislike about this book. The only problem I had was the format. The words were centered on the pages in choppy incomplete paragraphs. This was a little distracting but I was still able to fully understand the story line. This book was a short 31 pages. It was a quick and easy read. The author provides enough details to keep the book interesting but not so many to make it boring.
I give Life as it Happens 2000-2005 by Howard Mack 3 out of 4 stars. Despite the misfortune the author faced, the book still promoted a sense of wanderlust. I would like to give it four stars but the editing did not seem professional. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys traveling or reading about life events that may differ from their own. I certainly hope there are other installments of the author’s life and that they are as interesting as this one.
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Life as it Happens 2000-2005
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