Book Review

So often I read books quickly, just to get the story line and be entertained for an hour or two...and that's okay.  But the last one I read made me stop and say "Whoa...go back and start over and read this one slowly."  I wanted to catch every well crafted word.

That that's exactly how I would describe "The Old Neighborhood" by Avery Corman...well crafted. 

You may recall some of his other works from past movies, Kramer vs Kramer and Oh G-d.

The story takes us on a journey with a man from the Bronx who couldn't wait to get out of his childhood home and make a name for himself in the advertising field, which he did quite successfully. 

Married and with two beautiful daughters, he has it all...and yet life is careening out of control for him and he starts to contemplate whether his life is really such a success or not.

His marriage has gone stale due to all the hours put into the corporate world and he begins to reexamine his life and plan the next step.

I don't want to say much more for fear of ruining the story for you, but the message is timely.  When are we really successful?  What defines success?

There's an old Jewish adage that asks "who is the wealthiest man in the world."  The response is not based on monetary achievements as you might think....it is simply "he who is content with his lot in life."

A life lived with simplicity and purpose can be far more successful than being listed in Fortune 500.

Long Live the Queen of Great Books