Publisher: Ballantine Books Page Count: 304 Nonfiction Genre: Reference, How To, Self-Help, Adult, Trivia Dates Read: December 30-31, 2015 Reading Challenge: 2016 Topic Discard Challenge Topic: A book that inspires you Series: N/A Good Reads Summary A HANDY GUIDE FULL OF HOW-TO TIPS AND SAGE ADVICE FROM GRANDFATHERS As members of the Greatest Generation, our grandfathers were not only defined by the Depression but also by their heroic service to the country in World War II. Courageous, responsible, and involved, they understand sacrifice, hard work, and how to do whatever is necessary to take care of their loved ones. They also know how to have a rollicking good time. Sensible, fun, and inspiring, How to Build a Fire offers a rare glimpse into the hearts and minds of grandfathers near and far by sharing their practical skills and sweet stories on how to be stronger, smarter, richer, and happier. Inside are more than one hundred essential step-by-step tips for fixing, leading, prospering, playing, and hosting, including how to • buck up and be brave in the face of adversity • play hard and break in a baseball mitt • bait a hook and catch a big fish • look dapper and tie a perfect tie • get a raise and earn more • write a love letter and kindle romance • change a flat tire and save the day • stand up and give a sparkling toast • play the harmonica and make your own music Loaded with charming illustrations, good humor, and warm nostalgia, How to Build a Fire is the perfect handbook for guys or gals of any age. The first of its kind, this collection of our grandfathers’ hard-earned wisdom will help you build confidence and get back to what’s really important in life. Review I have always been a tomboy, playing in the dirt, climbing corn cribs, and running through the pastures. Growing up, I was happy to hang out with father and grandfather in the fields or in the tractors. Following them around as they did chores and helping them out however I could. I also played with my Barbies, and they helped out on the farm as well. Some days, my dolls came home dirtier than I did. My mom wasn't as thrilled about this as I was, but I think she handled it pretty well. I went into this book not knowing what to expect. I thought the two most important men in my life had taught me everything I would ever need to know, that my mother, grandmother, and instructors could not tech me. There were a lot of things in this book I am grateful for already knowing how to do, like how to build a fire, how to change a tire, and how to bait a hook, but there are things that nobody ever taught me, and I never even thought about it before, like how to negotiate a raise. I semi-successfully navigated that for the first time a few months before reading the book. I say semi-successfully because while I did not get exactly what I walked in wanting, I did not walk away empty handed. After reading the book, I learned where my pitfalls were, and what I can do differently next time. For me, there were several things in this book that I will most likely never need to know how to do, like how to shave my face (I really hope I never need to know how to do that!), or how to look dapper in a tie, though I think it would be slightly romantic to be able to tie a man's tie for him. Even the things that I realized I would probably never need to know how to do, I was fascinated to read about how to do them. What I really enjoyed about this book was how it was written. There were several grandfatherly men who wrote each advice article and instilled his years of wisdom into the reader. It was like reading a journal from my own grandfather who had left me instructions for life. It wasn't until I was older, a senior in college not too long ago, that I realized how much my father and grandfather taught me out in those fields, and how much I still have left to learn from them. Unfortunately this was just two years after my grandfather had passed away, but fortunately I still have my father around. While this book didn't have a lot of new information for me, I still really enjoyed every aspect of it, even the bits I felt were not as relevant to my life. This is an all around handy little guide that I plan to keep in my personal library. It is a book that I would give out to any young teen, male or female, in a life skills class, and tell them they will learn more from this book than they will learn from baking cookies in HomeEc. Ratings (based on a 10 point scale) Quality of Writing - 9 Pace - 5 Plot Development - N/A Characters - N/A Enjoyability - 9 Insightfulness - 8 Ease of Reading - 8 Photos/Illustrations - N/A Overall Rating - 4 out of 5 stars
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