The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews

Do you have a shelf or drawer or cabinet that holds all the books you buy that you intend to read.....someday? I do. In fact, I have several. And every once in a while, something happens that lights a bulb over my head, reminding me of a fabulous book collecting dust in one of the many waiting rooms of unread books in my house.

The best result of this little nudge is when I pick up that book and actually enjoy the story. The Traveler's Gift is one of those books. It's an extremely predictable story about a guy down on his luck who considers suicide.  Instead, he takes a bit of a trip to visit 7 historical figures (6 if you don't believe in angels), and learns 7 pieces of information that will push him to success in the future. Those seven lessons are:

1. The Buck Stops Here - Taking personal responsibility
2. Seek Wisdom - Search for understanding and discernment
3. Be a Person of Action - Being a courageous leader
4. Have a Decided Heart - Overcoming double-mindedness
5. Choose Happiness - Possessing a grateful spirit
6. Forgive others - The power of grace and mercy
7. Persist - Persevering with faith until the end

There are several problems with the book. It's a bit juvenile, but very understandable to a wide variety of readers and a quick read - only 206 pages. The historical figures and circumstances in which he meets each one are somewhat farfetched. I'm not sure Mr. Andrews actually believes one can travel through time to meet people, or that there was a more advanced civilization on earth thousands of years ago. He also takes some liberties with the historical figures (one critic points out that Christopher Columbus was not the great man implied in this book). And the arch-angel Gabriel can only be a historical figure if you believe angels exist.

But that is not the point to this book. If a reader takes the seven points, and just applies those to her life, her life can be enhanced and improved. My take-away was just that. Don't try to read more into it.

What nudged me to read the book was hearing Andy Andrews talk. He appears to be a typical motivational speaker, high energy and a bit scattered. But he was so engaging I just had to read his book. I have to admit, he was better to listen to than to read.