ARA Review by GinnyMae2 of And Then I Met Margaret

[GinnyMae2]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, And Then I Met Margaret.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Visit any bookstore in your community, and you will likely find that the Self-Help/Motivational section is one of the most frequently visited. The titles rotate in and out. Some seem to be just passing through. Some seem to move in and stay a while.

Rob White’s book, And Then I Met Margaret, is likely to stay around a while. At 198 pages, the book is semi-autobiographical, with short, entertaining chapters about people he has met throughout his lifetime.

He writes of growing up in a poor mill town, the sort of place that tends to produce young people whose career paths don’t often rise above working in the local industries. Mr. White says he surprised himself and his town by discovering he had a talent for making money. As a result, he found the path to a career larger than that small town. Over several decades, he was able to afford what many consider to be the Good Things of life.

After many years, he recognized that his external world was projecting material wealth, but his internal landscape was spiritually bankrupt. At this point, he intentionally changed the direction of his life by choosing to search out people he considered “gurus” who would help him redirect his life until he felt as rich on the inside as he appeared on the outside.

The book winds through a wide assortment of experiences and the people he learned from along the way. The names of some of those people are known world-wide. But many of his stories highlight people from around the world who might not be well-known, even within their own communities.

The book is written in an interesting format. Each short chapter begins with what White describes as a myth. One chapter, for example, begins with, “I can wish, but I’m powerless to insist.” At the end of each chapter, he closes his thoughts pointing out the lesson he discovered as a result of his experience. In the case of the myth mentioned above, the reality at the end of the chapter is, “Stand for what I believe, and I have the power to persist.” The book covers many topics: courage, fear, integrity, and perseverance, to name a few.

The language is relaxed and very much like talking to a friend over a cup of coffee. It’s an easy read. But as I read, I couldn’t help feeling that this would be a tremendous book for high school students. The reading level is not difficult, the chapters are short, and the stories are varied and interesting. It would be perfect for that kind of use.

Rob White’s story-telling technique kept tugging at my memory, reminding me of someone from quite a while ago who wrote with a similar style. Mr. White is a writer in the style of the great Earl Nightingale.

His stories are tightly written and luminous, and the lessons he shares bring out an array of emotions. The book is very well-written, and I give it 5 stars out of 5. I was tempted to give it a slightly lower rating because the writing style is quite simple and unencumbered. Many people browsing for a motivational book might instead be drawn toward something written in a somewhat flashier style.

But it is precisely this subject matter and reading level that makes it a perfect choice for high school-age students. There is a constant need for good motivational reading for youth. There is too much written for youth that doesn’t build them up. For this reason, I kept the rating at 5 stars, and I look forward to Mr. White’s future books.

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