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The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success (Paperback)
by Andy Andrews
| Category:
Personal success, Personal development, Self help, Success |
| Market price: ¥ 168.00
MSL price:
¥ 158.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Combining history with inspiration, this book is an excellent collection of wisdom on personal success. |
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Author: Andy Andrews
Publisher: Nelson Books
Pub. in: May, 2005
ISBN: 0785273220
Pages: 224
Measurements: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00544
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- Awards & Credential -
The New York Times Bestseller |
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- MSL Picks -
Read The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews, a self-help book that effectively uses fiction to hold your interest… it is the story of a typical guy - David Ponder - whose troubles begin when he loses his job.
When his car crashes, he then begins a journey that will remind you of the movie, It's A Wonderful Life… but what makes this tale different is that along with way, Ponders encounters various historical figures who each teach him a different rule of success.
The first is "The Buck Stops Here" (Harry Truman), followed by "I Will Seek Wisdom" (King Solomon), "I Am A Person of Action" (Colonel Chamberlain, Civil War hero), "I Have A Decided Heart" (Christopher Columbus), "Today I Will Choose To Be Happy" (Anne Frank), "I Will Greet This Day With A Forgiving Spirit" (Abraham Lincoln), and "I Will Persist Without Exception" (Archangel Gabriel).
By the time Ponder is ready to return to the real world, you will have feel that you will have learned something from his travels… and though you just know that all will turn out well, the ending will still warm your heart.
There were several memorable passages; among them:
* David put his energy and focus into providing a home and lifestyle in which his family would prosper. But his work at the plant, while it did provide a living, never seemed to provide a life. As David told a friend one day, "I'm working so hard to live where we want to live that I don't actually get to live there."
* Truman paused. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his brow. David's head was hanging, his chin on his chest. "David, look at me," the president said. David's eyes met his. "The words It's not my fault! should never again come from your mouth. The words It's not my fault! Have been symbolically written on the gravestones of unsuccessful people ever since Eve took her first bite of the apple.
Until a person takes responsibility for where he is, there is no basis for moving on. The bad news is that the past was in your hands, but the good news is that the future, my friend, is also in your hands."
* "I do not complain," Anne said. "Papa says complaining is an activity just as jumping rope or listening to the radio, and one may choose not to turn on the radio, and one may choose to complain, and one may choose not to complain. I choose not to complain."
This book is characterized by some bold choices: what to leave out as well as what to leave in. The author tells the story simply, engagingly, mixing history and advice. And he also leaves out nuance and complication, but in this case that turns out to be a wise choice. Andy Andrews makes some strong assertions, staking out clear positions, and if he had muddied the waters, he would have ended up equivocating. And if he had done that, then the advice wouldn't have amounted to much. No, he's clear. And it's up to the reader to decide whether this account rings true or not. For me, it did. It's helpful advice that really hit home. My only complaint is that I didn't read this book years ago. But Andy would not let me get away with that complaint. Practice forgiveness, he'd say, starting with you! And happily greet the future - a bit wiser. And he'd be glad that when I finished this book I had a grateful heart.
Using historical personalities (Lincoln, Anne Frank, Truman) and events (Civil War, Holocaust, World War II), Andrews draws powerful lessons from the past to inspire today's reader. This is not a particularly "Christian" book. Believers and non-believers alike will see the wisdom and usefulness of the seven decisions and their related stories. While there is an undertone of faith, the book is not certainly not a "religious" book in the traditional sense.
(From quoting an American reader)
Target readers:
General readers
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From the Publisher:
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 paper edition.
David Ponder's lost his job, his confidence, and his will to live. And just when it seems that things can't get any worse, they do: his only child falls ill, and he's involved in a serious car accident. But a divine adventure that includes encounters with seven of history's most inspirational characters, among them Anne Frank, Abraham Lincoln, and Christopher Columbus, leaves him with a glimpse of life's big picture, and seven bits of wisdom with which to confront his future.
This thought-provoking book encourages readers of all ages to reach their full potential using these simple keys to success.
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"Please get off the floor and sit in this chair."
Slowly, David opened his eyes and looked directly into the face of a man who seemed vaguely familiar. A small, older gentleman, his short almost-white hair was neatly combed, contrasting with the slightly disheveled appearance of his clothes. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up at the elbows, and his red-and-black-striped tie was loosened at the collar. Atop his sharp nose sat a pair of round spectacles that were thick enough to make his clear blue eyes seem huge.
"This is a very inconvenient time for me," the man said. "Just sit right there and be very quiet." Turning quickly, he walked toward a huge hand-carved desk. Settling himself behind it and picking up a stack of papers, he grumbled, "As if I don't have enough happening right now."
Confused, David glanced around. He was sitting on a large Persian rug, his back against the wall of an ornate, high-ceilinged room. Directly to his left was the hard-backed mahogany chair that had been indicated by the man who was now intently sorting papers across the room. To his right, a globe stood on a pedestal in front of an unlit fireplace.
Easing up and into the chair, David said, "I'm thirsty."
Without looking up, the man replied, "I'll get you something in a bit. For now, please be quiet."
"Where am I?" David asked.
"Look here now." The man cursed as he slammed the stack of papers down on the desk and pointed a finger at David. "I politely asked you to be quiet, and I'm expecting you to do it. You are in Potsdam, Germany, a suburb of Berlin in a free zone presently controlled by the Red army. It is Tuesday, July 24, 1945." Taking a deep breath and appearing to calm down, he reached for his work again.
Separating the papers, he said, "There now, sit and chew on that for a while."
David wrinkled his brow. I must be in a hospital, he thought. This is a creepy old place. And if this guy is my doctor, he has a horrible bedside manner. Sitting absolutely still, trying to collect himself, David watched the man at the desk. Why would he tell me I'm in Germany? he wondered. And the Red army thing? I must have a head injury. Is this some kind of psychiatric exam?
He tugged at the collar of his dark blue sweatshirt. Uncomfortably warm, David noticed a water pitcher and some glasses on a small table near a window directly across the room. He stood up and walked slowly to the water. From the corner of his eye, David saw the man behind the desk briefly glance up, frown, and go back to his work.
David quietly poured a glass of water and, drinking it, looked out the window. He was obviously in a second-floor room of this building or house or whatever it was. Below him, no more than fifty feet away, was the bank of a slow-moving river. There were no people boating, no children playing- in fact, he didn't see anyone at all. "Something isn't right here," David muttered as a breeze crossed his face and rustled the drapes beside him.
Reaching his arm through the open window, David was almost startled to find that the air was warm and humid. Then he realized what had been bothering him. It was the air itself. The air was warm. Every tree within sight was full of leaves, and the grass in the yard below him was green. In the dead of winter?
Putting his glass down on the table, David placed his hands on the windowsill and pushed his whole upper body through the opening. Yes, it was hot, he decided, and pulled himself back inside. What kind of place is this? David wondered. Why are the windows open in the first place? As hot as it is, the air conditioning should be running full blast.
As he moved back toward his seat, David looked around for a thermostat. There wasn't one that he could see. The only temperature-controlling device was an old heater that someone had put in the fireplace. Not that that heater would do anyone any good, he thought. It's so old, it looks like it could have been made in…, David stopped in midstride. In a soft voice, he said aloud, "… 1945."
Wheeling suddenly, David faced the man behind the desk. The white-haired gentleman looked up and slowly pushed his work to the side. A slight smile on his thin lips, he leaned back into his chair, crossed his arms, and peered curiously at David.
David's mind raced furiously. Potsdam… Potsdam… , he thought. Why is that name so familiar? Then, like a thunderbolt, it came to him. Potsdam, Germany, he remembered from a television documentary, was the site of the famous war conference after which the decision had been made to drop the atomic bomb on Japan during World War II.
A shudder passed through his body as David put his hands to his head. Think, think, he commanded himself. Who attended the war conference in Potsdam? It was Churchill, Stalin, and… All the breath seemed to go out of David at once as he groped for the chair behind him. Sitting down heavily, he stared at the man in front of him. "You're Harry Truman," he said in a shocked tone.
"Yes," the man said, "I am. Though at the moment I would give anything to be almost anyone else."
Swallowing audibly, David said, "They call you 'Give Em Hell Harry.'"
Truman grimaced. "I never give anybody hell," he snorted. "I just tell the truth, and they think it's hell."
Removing his glasses, he rubbed his eyes and said, "Obviously, I'll not be getting any peace from this point on, so we might as well go ahead and talk." Putting his glasses back on, he rose and came out from behind the desk. "By the way," he said, "why not you?"
"Excuse me?" David asked.
"Why… not… you?" Looking directly into David's eyes, he enunciated the words carefully, separating them as if he were speaking to a child. "I believe that is the answer to the last question you asked before you arrived."
David frowned. Trying to remember, he said, "I was in an accident, I think."
"Yes," Truman said, "that's sometimes how this happens. And the last question a person asks is often, 'Why me?' Of course, 'Why me?' is a question great men and women have been asking themselves since time began. I know the thought has occurred to me more than once during the past few days. It's hard for me to believe that twenty-five years ago, I was a clerk in a clothing store!" Truman extended his hand and pulled David to his feet. "What's your name, son?"
"David Ponder. Am I okay?"
"Well, David Ponder, if you mean 'Am I dead?' the answer is no. If you simply mean 'Am I okay?'" Truman shrugged, "I'm not sure. I've never been given any information on how these things turn out."
Suddenly, David relaxed. Smiling, he said, "I understand. I'm dreaming, right?"
"Maybe you are," the president said, "but, David, I'm not. And even if you are dreaming, that's not a problem. For centuries, dreams have been used to communicate instruction and direction to people of purpose-great men and women. God used dreams to prepare Joseph for his future as a leader of nations. He gave battle plans to Gideon in a dream. Joan of Arc, Jacob, George Washington, Marie Curie, and the apostle Paul were all guided by their dreams."
"But I'm an ordinary guy," David said. "I'm nothing like any of the people you've mentioned-great, I mean-and I'm certainly no apostle Paul. I'm not even sure I believe in God anymore."
Truman smiled as he put a hand on David's shoulder. "That's all right, son," he said. "He believes in you."
"How can you be certain of that?" David asked.
"Because," Truman responded, "you wouldn't be here if He didn't. Occasionally, someone is chosen to travel the ages, gathering wisdom for future generations. It's as if the Almighty literally reaches down and places His hand on a shoulder, and in this particular case," the president peered over his glasses, "it was your shoulder."
A sharp knock at the door drew their attention. Without waiting for a response, a large, stocky man strode into the room. It was Fred Canfil, Truman's special bodyguard. Formerly the U.S. marshal from Kansas City, Fred was temporarily attached to the Secret Service and had become a favorite of the president and his family. "I'm sorry to barge in like this, sir," he said as his eyes surveyed the room. "I thought I heard you talking to someone."
"No, Fred," Truman said as he looked directly at David, "no one here." Then motioning toward the door with his hand, he said, "If you'll see that I'm not disturbed?"
"Of course, Mr. President," Canfil said as he slowly backed out, a concerned look on his face. Still glancing about, he added, "I'll be escorting you to the conference room within the hour, but if you need me before then…"
"You'll be right outside," Truman said as he ushered his bewildered friend from the room, "and I won't hesitate to call for you. Thank you, Fred."
As the president closed the door, David asked, "He can't see me?"
"Apparently no one can," Truman replied. "No one, that is, except the person you came to visit. Of course, that makes me look a little crazy," he said with a grin, "in here, all alone, talking to myself." Quickly, he wiped the grin off his face and continued, "But I shouldn't think anyone would find it strange. I have ample reason to be talking to myself, what with everything that's going on here." Truman cocked his head and looked at David from the corner of his eye. "It is curious how you people always seem to show up during critical points in my life."
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| View all 15 comments |
John C. Maxwell (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
In the tradition of Og Mandino, Andy Andrews has spun an engaging morality tale. |
Bonnie Neely (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
The Traveler's Gift By Comedian Andy Andrews is a very readable and appealing book quite appropriate for our times of joblessness and looming war. The novel focuses on David Ponder's journey to wisdom and insight following the loss of his career and his desire to live. After a car crash he has a transforming experience of "meeting" Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank, King Solomon, Harry Truman and Chirstopher Columbus at the major crisis points in their lives. Each of these historical giants impart their wisdom to David, who returns with the courage to take responsibility for his own choices, seek wisdom, take action, and choose to be happy by developing an attitude of forgive- ness and persistence in the face of difficulties. This light reading allegory provides much prescient insight for coping in the fearful world we face each day. Andy, a popular comedian who has come from homelessness to touring with the rich and famous ( from Garth Brooks to Cher) and entertaining four presidents has been quite successful with this his first book. Good reading for any trip! |
An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Although I am not in the habit of reading self help books, I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody. The Traveler's Gift is not only a very interesting book, it's actually full of helpful information. here is a concise summary of the book. the story revolves around the main charecter, David Ponder, who has just lost his job. He feels inadequate because he can't provide for his family and all the pressures of the world seem to be pushing down upon him. Anyway, he wrecks his car and finds himself traveling threw time meeting various figures in history. Each person he meets gives him a different decision for success that helps him to come to grips with his situation. This book is worth owning evan if you don't normally read self help books. |
V. Marshall (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
This little book is brilliant, not only in its message but also in how it is presented. Andy Andrews combines history with inspiration and succeeds!
The story is fairly simple: a man, dissatisfied with his life, finds himself in an accident and unconscious. During this period of immobility the dissatisfied man meets several people from history who relate the laws of success in various forms. The first rule of success is "The Buck Stops Here" (Harry Truman), second "I Will Seek Wisdom" (King Solomon), third "I Am A Person of Action" (Colonel Chamberlain, Civil War Hero), fourth "I Have A Decided Heart" (Christopher Columbus), Fifth "Today I Will Choose To Be Happy" (Anne Frank), sixth "I Will Greet This Day With A Forgiving Spirit" (Abraham Lincoln) and seventh "I Will Persist Without Exception" (Archangel Gabriel).
The concept behind this book is unique and highly evolved. Andy Andrews has accomplished something here and after reading this book you may as well. Imagine the impact on one's life if we all had an opportunity to learn from the historical masters our life lessons. While such an experience will never happen in our actual lifetimes it is never too late to pick up a book and learn something new each and everyday. This is one of those books and it even includes a bibliography for further advice from those wise old owls not quite forgotten in the shuffle by a few who care. |
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