December 27th, 2009 
trollyguide
- ISBN13: 9780785273226
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Product Description
A unique blend of fiction, history, allegory, and inspiration, The Traveler’s Gift has motivated tens of thousands since its release in late 2002. Now this wildly successful parable is available in an affordable trade pa… More >>
The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success
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Ardent readers know you sometimes have to “kiss a lot of frogs” to find a gem. Persistence pays off, however, when you finally run across a book that has the potential to change people’s lives. Such a book is THE TRAVELER’S GIFT by Andy Andrews. I stress the word “potential” because there will always be some who will never glean knowledge when it is presented to them all gift wrapped in glitter paper with a flowering satin bow.
This is indeed not the first book along this same or similar theme. In fact, there are many that come to mind, all of which possess a certain richness to them and all of which give the reader pearls. What the reader chooses to do with them is another question entirely. There will always be readers, and subsequently, reviewers, who will say things like, “there’s nothing new here”, and these are the unfortunate ones of which I speak. Perhaps they have read similar volumes before, the sad truth is, they could read a hundred more and never get the gist of a single one. They search for some magical formula that will transform their lives simply by ingesting the words, but all the success books in the world will accomplish nothing if not applied. This one is surely no exception, but the message is definitely here if the reader is ready to receive it.
While the basic premise may have similarity to a Stephen Covey or even Napoleon Hill, Andrews’ book is presented in a very unique way. The story features a man struggling to make ends meet, keeping his head above water, when suddenly life comes crashing down upon him. With the weight of the world upon his shoulders, in a moment of desperation, our main character even contemplates ending his life, thinking his family to better off without his failures dragging them down.
An instant before a crash, our subject embarks on an incredible journey. A journey that forces him to examine what can be done to put his life, not just back on track, but on a new course that will transcend even all that he ever dreamed of.
This is a quick and easy study of changing your life by changing your mind. The information is here to make anyone a success. What readers do with that information is up to them. Follow these seven steps and the sky is the limit. Read the book and complain that there is nothing new here and you will be right. There will be nothing new here for you.
Rating: 5 / 5
I tried to read this book twice thinking that the first time I didn’t give it a chance. I couldn’t read anymore after the second decision. It’s poorly written and there is nothing revolutionary about it. It’s the same old self-help stuff regurgitated and the storyline is even worse. I feel cheated that I paid $1.29 for it at the thrift store.
Rating: 1 / 5
I don’t know why I bothered to read this book. I could tell from the outset that it was yet another unimaginative self-help tome, but I perservered. Andrews makes the same pithy, unimaginative observations as those who preceded him: Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, Deepak Chopra, Leo Buscaglia, Laura Schlessinger, etc., etc., etc.
Don’t waste your time and heaven’s sake, don’t waste your money!
Rating: 1 / 5
I had to read this book for a positive psychology class, and I can’t believe it has received so much praise. Not only is Andy Andrew’s writing style like that of a third grader, but the main character travels back in time to learn lessons from famous people. Ignoring the fact that time travelling is already hard to swallow, the historical figures he meets are totally inaccurate. For example, David meets Columbus, who is portrayed as a child-like daydreamer, excited to discover “a New world!” Not only did Columbus slaughter the Indians, but every child knows he was initially looking for a route to the West Indies. Andy Andrews apparently never completed elementary school or he would have also known this. This is not the only historical problem, but one of many. You would think when writing a book he would research things first. Lastly, ignoring all problems with the story and focusing simply on the advice you still find problems. Some of the advice has been proven in studies NOT to work and at times the advice or David’s actions contradicts things that have already been said. This book is a waste of time. Flip to any page and see that.
Rating: 1 / 5
a friend encouraged me to read this book, and was so glowing in his praise of motivational speaker and author, andy andrews, that i actually thought that perhaps i missed something when i finished “the traveler’s gift” and wasn’t any more enlightened than when i began it. now i realize that, in my opinion, the book has several major flaws:
1. it was written on about a fifth grade level. there’s no character development, and the plot was painfully predictable.
2. there’s nothing new here. no bold insight, just tired ol’ cliché after cliché. (“the buck stops here” is a nugget of wisdom? please.)
3. after plowing through endless silly dialogue and contrived situations, the ending was at least worthy of a good laugh. (it wasn’t meant to be funny, it just was.) here’s the punchline: after david ponder learns The Seven Clichés…uh, i mean Decisions…by traveling back in time, we skip forward a couple of decades and discover that he becomes “successful” — he’s a filthy rich, egomaniacal, cliché-spouting motivational speaker!
4. we’re to deduce from this book that fine and good Christians should make lots of money, rigidly accept nothing but perfection from themselves and others, make lots of money, put on a happy face, and did i mention make lots of money? oh, and name everything after yourself or someone in your family.
i’m amazed and saddened that there are obviously many who hold in highest regard this less-than-mediocre writing. a not-so-deep book for a not-so-deep audience.
Rating: 1 / 5