Official Review: Wit Wisdom and Courage by Arel S. Wente

joshfee77 · Post by **joshfee77** » 23 Aug 2018, 07:02

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Wit Wisdom and Courage" by Arel S. Wente.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Arel Sudduth Wente interviewed fifty of her classmates from Seattle's Shorecrest High School's Class of 1969, five decades later. She asked them each thirty questions, summarising their responses in the fifty chapters of Wit, Wisdom & Courage, a factual account of their life experiences for the five decades after graduation. Each chapter started with a current photograph, the person's name, and a quote from them, followed by two pages describing their life and ending with: "What would your classmates be surprised to know about you now?", and their class photograph from 1969.

I liked the format of this book. It seemed thoughtfully constructed, with the current photograph humanising each person for the reader, and the class photo adding a touch of nostalgia at the end. The focus on their experiences through the decades and what they learned along the way was revealing and insightful, and the editing was excellent - I found only four distinct errors in the entire book.

Many people spoke of forming relationships with God and of helping others, taking a humanitarian approach even if they were not religious. This selfless attitude was inspiring to see in a large group of people over five decades of living and learning. Ex-Shorecrest student Scott Tanner stated: "I believe we are put here on earth for a period of time to do good," while Carla Anderson Seed said: "...one thing I've learned since then is to treat people kindly always, and also to be your most honest and truest self." Regarding life's journey, Bill Bombadier described his as "first third learning, second third earning, and third part serving." This seemed like a healthy approach, ultimately giving something back to humanity. "Trust your instincts" was another popular piece of advice from the group.

Many respondents had been married more than once, often divorced by the age of forty. As someone in that exact situation, I could identify with this. In hindsight, it is easy to see how young people can fall in love blindly, failing to see how they might be incompatible in the long-term. People do grow and change throughout their lives, and sometimes this growth takes them in different directions.

I liked how this book summarised some group conclusions from the interviews at the end. Wente included the group's thoughts on the Vietnam War, where the general feeling was of anger and loss, of young men sent to die in a foreign war that had "nothing to do with anything" and was "no threat to our national security". Most felt it was politically motivated, tragic and embarrassing for the United States. The conclusion also included a summary of their favourite music, TV shows, books, and movies, plus frequency of computer use, and whether they felt they were "addicted" to their smart phone.

The only thing I felt was missing from the conclusion was the common "life lessons" the respondents had learned, especially how they interacted with others and gave something back to the community. Wente described these for each person earlier in the book, but I thought a summary would have been worthwhile, especially for younger adults hoping to gain some wisdom from their elders. Also, while it was interesting, I felt a little "information overload" reading about fifty people in such a short space of time. Focussing on a fuller range of questions for deeper insights into a smaller sample (maybe twenty) might have allowed me to get to know them better and to keep them separate in my mind.

These were not major negatives, however, so I rate Wit, Wisdom & Courage 4 out of 4 stars. It had plenty of all three of these elements, and was a great guide to life from people now well into their sixties. If nothing else, it showed that nobody can predict the future, that life is what you make of it, that we all make mistakes, and we are all mortal. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking meaning in life or simply wishing to gain wisdom from some older, successful people.

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Wit Wisdom and Courage
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Bianka Walter · Post by **Bianka Walter** » 24 Aug 2018, 07:34

This is a very cool idea for a book. I can imagine it was also fun for the author to put it all together. Life lessons being told from the perspectives of 50 different people will definitely be helpful to someone

Great review!

Post by **Waragu Samuel** » 24 Aug 2018, 07:42

"What would your classmates be surprised to know about you now?", and their class photograph from 1969.

Waoh! An interesting question that I have never though of. I am considering to read this book. Otherwise, thanks for the review.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 24 Aug 2018, 14:31

Many people spoke of forming relationships with God and of helping others, taking a humanitarian approach even if they were not religious. This selfless attitude was inspiring to see in a large group of people over five decades of living and learning.

This is a really fun concept for a book. I agree with your thoughts above. I can see this was an uplifting read. Thanks for the recommendation.

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 25 Aug 2018, 18:47

Though I do like exploring life philosophies, I don't think this one is for me. It seems too much like a class reunion with strangers.

joshfee77 · Post by **joshfee77** » 26 Aug 2018, 16:38

Bianka Walter wrote: ↑24 Aug 2018, 07:34 This is a very cool idea for a book. I can imagine it was also fun for the author to put it all together. Life lessons being told from the perspectives of 50 different people will definitely be helpful to someone

Great review!

Definitely some valuable life lessons and experiences to learn from in this book. Thanks for your comments.

joshfee77 · Post by **joshfee77** » 26 Aug 2018, 16:39

Samuel Waragu wrote: ↑24 Aug 2018, 07:42
"What would your classmates be surprised to know about you now?", and their class photograph from 1969.
Waoh! An interesting question that I have never though of. I am considering to read this book. Otherwise, thanks for the review.

You're absolutely right. I thought that was an excellent question, and a great one to end on for each person. Thanks for commenting.

joshfee77 · Post by **joshfee77** » 26 Aug 2018, 16:42

Cecilia_L wrote: ↑24 Aug 2018, 14:31
Many people spoke of forming relationships with God and of helping others, taking a humanitarian approach even if they were not religious. This selfless attitude was inspiring to see in a large group of people over five decades of living and learning.
This is a really fun concept for a book. I agree with your thoughts above. I can see this was an uplifting read. Thanks for the recommendation.

It was definitely highly illuminating to learn about the lives of fifty people from the same graduating class. And a strong message of love and humanity throughout. Thank you for your comments.

joshfee77 · Post by **joshfee77** » 26 Aug 2018, 16:45

teacherjh wrote: ↑25 Aug 2018, 18:47 Though I do like exploring life philosophies, I don't think this one is for me. It seems too much like a class reunion with strangers.

Interesting point, and I can see what you mean. As I said, it might have been better to learn about a smaller sample in greater depth. That way, they wouldn't have seemed so much like strangers to the reader.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 27 Aug 2018, 09:13

Wow! I love the idea of this book. It would be really neat to see the person then and now and see how their view on life has changed. I bet you could learn a lot from that kind of format. Thanks for introducing us to such a unique book!

joshfee77 · Post by **joshfee77** » 27 Aug 2018, 16:36

kandscreeley wrote: ↑27 Aug 2018, 09:13 Wow! I love the idea of this book. It would be really neat to see the person then and now and see how their view on life has changed. I bet you could learn a lot from that kind of format. Thanks for introducing us to such a unique book!

Thanks! Even though the people in the book were all strangers to me, I still found their lives - and especially what they had learned - fascinating. It was definitely a great idea for a book.

EvaDar · Post by **EvaDar** » 27 Aug 2018, 19:00

This sounds like a beautiful book. And I enjoyed reading your review. Reading about this book makes me wonder why this trend hasn't taken off. It is a really great idea for a book. As someone who doesn't spend a bunch of time on social media staying in touch, I would really love a book like this for my class. I think it would be hard to market this book though. IT might be hard to find an audience for a book about someone else's high school class. Thanks for the great review.

joshfee77 · Post by **joshfee77** » 29 Aug 2018, 16:37

Eva Darrington wrote: ↑27 Aug 2018, 19:00 This sounds like a beautiful book. And I enjoyed reading your review. Reading about this book makes me wonder why this trend hasn't taken off. It is a really great idea for a book. As someone who doesn't spend a bunch of time on social media staying in touch, I would really love a book like this for my class. I think it would be hard to market this book though. IT might be hard to find an audience for a book about someone else's high school class. Thanks for the great review.

You're right - it might be hard to find a market for this one. I would say those who knew these people would definitely be the most interested in their lives.