songhao

(IMHO, few books deserve five stars. I'd give this book six stars if I could. Go out to Amazon, and look at the distribution of reviews. Virtually EVERYONE who reads this massive book rates it five stars. You should read it. Period.) I love this book. I read it for the first time probably 10-20 years ago, and find that I can easily open it at any point and get engrossed again in Sam Damon's journey. It's just this incredibly broad and rich tapestry. What I think I love most about this book is Sam's approach to life, in that you take what's in front of you, do the best that you can, learn from the experience--without reframing it as someone else's fault--and throughout life, keep trying to learn (languages, history, etc.). I don't do nearly as well at this as I'd like--cruising the Internet is easier than using it to work on learning French at 50, for example--but I try, and Sam is my hero, someone who I try to emulate and whose fictional tale makes me strive to be better than I am. In modern life, we seemed to be surrounded by people who talk and talk and talk, but are *completely* unable to live their values. Instead, their mantra is "I've changed" or "I've learned from my mistakes." Maybe we as a society should look for people who are able to manage themselves with honor and dignity, rather than listening to those who put themselves forward as "leaders" but who fold like cheap card tables at the first test of their character.

2022-11-14 17:53