The Last Day of My Life
by Jim Moret
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jim MoretEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2010-01-05
ISBN: 1607477017
Number of pages: 161
Publisher: Phoenix
Book Reviews of The Last Day of My Life
Book Review: Interesting, but a checklist without depth
Summary: 3 Stars
Shouldn't all self-improvement books be given 5 stars? It's obviously something we should encourage and quite frankly how do you screw up a self-improvement book? Give bad tips? Advise a reader to start smoking or be more selfish or not apologize to some relative who pissed you off (this is why most self-improvement books never work on me). But for these kind of books, usually it is the reader who screws it up, can't execute, tries it for a month like a diet and then goes back to their old ways. So, why isn't this a 5 star book?
First off, the title is misleading and unnecessarily so. The whole book is an exercise. What would you do if it was the last day of your life? Kind of like what would you do if you won the lottery (a different kind of hypothetical that is usually a waste of time). The book poses questions about what is important to you, family, love, friendships and what the author found to be important to him. How will you be remembered, if that is what you find important, but for him the worth is posed as how did you live your life? So, as a caveat, when I first picked up this book (display shelf at library) I thought, interesting title, near death experience? illness? some kind of "American Beauty" experience of a flash of your life? Nope, it is just an exercise, what would you find important if it was your "last day" to live. A little deceptive to me and a let down. After reading the first few pages, I continued nevertheless b/c there is still something to glean from other's experiences. The title should have been "Why I decided to Not Kill Myself" b/c that seemed to be the primary trigger of his revelations if there was a trigger so to speak (not a spoiler because it is introduced early). That would have been a compelling story especially for someone in the public eye like this author. But the author doesn't go there and doesn't go beneath the surface of the stories other than to pull the evident emotion and title his chapter accordingly.
So, on to the tips and stories. The author has certainly had an interesting life and I am glad he shared it. Maybe the book should have focused on his life and not a checklist of tips. It is not a "tragic" life because he has been successful by most definitions but he has friends and relatives and loved ones who have certainly experienced tragedy. Just like his job (TV journalist), in his life he has also witnessed tragedy and people who have experienced some awful misery. Also like his job, in his book he doesn't pick sides which is a shame for some of his stories. In some stories, there are good guys and bad, he maintains a neutrality that to me was irritating as if he is trying too hard to be nice or good or non-judgmental. That is fine because he does seem to be a really nice guy but damn it was still annoying to me. So, this is not a memoir but a series of emotional stories that are told with the neutrality of a journalist. They are self-indulgent to start with but generally end up proving the point he tries to make.
As aforementioned, he finishes with a checklist. That is OK. Well, checklists are good, good for him obviously because he is so productive, good for others and even me (note to self, buy milk and dog food). But these days, you can get that kind of stuff off the internet or from some blog, a book about his life and his lessons should delve deeper if possible.
Ultimately, it is worth a read as I mentioned most if not all self-improvement books are worth a read. This is short, concise and best on a trip when soul searching is usually heightened like when you are on beach catching the last rays of the sun or at the airport waiting to see your loved ones and pissed off because it is taking them so long to find you (oops, I digress what page was forgiveness on?).
Summary of The Last Day of My Life
If you had 24 hours to live...Should you finally forgive the one who hurt you the most and would you find the courage to apologize to the person you wronged? Who would you remember as your life?s greatest love? Could you recognize what you are truly grateful for? Jim Moret didn?t fully understand the answers to those questions until he was literally a day away from ending his own life. This veteran television broadcaster and interviewer turns the camera on himself, taking the reader on an intimate journey. He moves beyond depression, tragedy, and self-doubt and grapples with his greatest decision: not simply whether to live but how to live. If you had only 24 hours left... what would you do?
?This is a marvelous collection of the right way to do things. Jim Moret?s book belongs in every library.?
-Larry King
?I think everyone has asked the question of themselves, but very few have explored it the way Jim Moret has in this heartbreaking, heart-strengthening, universally recognizable foray into what goes into making us Whole as individuals and as people. The things that we must face in ourselves and put into balance, before we find ourselves in the darkness of no return. So take a page from Jim?s book. It may not be the answer, but it is certainly part of the conversation.?
-Whoopi Goldberg
?It is simple enough to say that contemplating death teaches one to live. Indeed, Jim Moret looked over that brink and determined that he should live. Rarely, however, does an author take a reader through the journey that brings one so vividly to that moment. Once there, he shares with us his evolution from despair toward miracles, unforeseen adventures and most importantly the deepening of the relationships that give life its meaning. Well done.?
-Dr. Drew Pinsky
?I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Jim Moret's touching memoir is based on a wide array of life experiences ranging from the heartwarming to the heartbreaking. This important book will definitely make a difference in your life. Not only will it leave you with plenty to think about, you'll have a new and reliable road map for your own successful journey. In fact, read "The Last Day of My Life" more than once...you'll be glad you did.?
-J. Randy Taraborrelli
"Jim Moret's book is required reading for anyone who's ever entertained the thought of being happy." -Alan Zweibel
Saturday Night Live writing alum and Thurber Prize winner
"Jim Moret?s The Last Day of My Life easily could have been titled Tuesdays with Moret. It's that kind of book --powerful, inspirational and memorable. Everyone who reads it will emerge stronger and smarter. Period."
-Wolf Blitzer, CNN Anchor, The Situation Room
?In THE LAST DAY OF MY LIFE, Jim Moret discovers that it is our connections with people, not the things we acquire, that are the true riches in life. Jim?s moving personal journey delivers a road map for anyone struggling with self doubt.?
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