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Bezig met laden... The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Mandoor David von Drehle
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. A truly remarkable story about a man who lived through the majority of the 20th Century. Born in middle America, Charlie traveled to LA, attended Northwestern University, became a doctor, and served in the war. He was also married several times. I found this story to be fascinating, esp. with all the unique things that Charlie did. Very enjoyable story about this remarkable man. Lesson to all - speak to your elders and learn their story. They are fascinating!!! Cherish those that have gone before us and paved the way. When David Von Drehle moves into his new home in Kansas City, he encountrs a man across the street, dressed only in his swimming trunks, washing his girlfriend's car. The neighbor, Charlie White, was at the time 102. The author and Charlie sat down on numerous occasions and chatted about Charlie's long life (he eventually lived to 109). Von Drahle recognized characteristics in Charlie that produced an incredible resilience, and decided to write up Charlie's story, in part as a way of imparting some wisdom to his children. This is not a biography or a memoir, but a retelling of incidents in Charlie's life, beginning with the death of his father when Charlie was 8, that formed the man. Von Drehle spend a bit of time fleshing out the circumstances of life in Kansas City (and beyond) that adds perspective to Charlie's story. The book is categorized as 'Self-Help', which is interesting, but not far off. Charlie did indeed live a remarkable life, and it was worth telling. My own grandmother was born in 1900 and lived to 2001, so I tried to imagine what her life would have been like during this similar time span. There is so much to be gained from talks with the elderly - I'm glad Von Drehle thought to spend some time with Charlie. I listened to the Audible.com audio version of “The Book of Charlie.” I enjoyed the book about the 109-year-old doctor and his friendship with the author. Von Drehle was on CBS Sunday Morning this past weekend, so it was nice to see that segment when I was reading his book. My only criticism of the audio book is Von Drehle’s narration. I think he should have turned those duties over to a professional reader. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Erelijsten
A veteran Washington journalist recounts his long friendship with Charlie White, the centenarian next door who, sharing his good and meaningful life, mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom as his sense of adventure guided him through a century of upheaval. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)305.26Social sciences Social Sciences; Sociology and anthropology Groups of people Age groups Older people (60+)LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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What I did like was how David included historical background and information that helped put Charlie’s experiences in perspective. For instance, Charlie went to medical school and became a doctor before the discovery of penicillin and other antibiotics, during the early days of anesthesia, before open heart surgery, etc. Amplifying Charlie’s experience with David’s explanations of medical procedures and treatment from the early 1900s until after World War II made me realize that until the 1950s the US often had no better treatment to offer than a third world country. While this was interesting, sometimes David’s historical background and research got off track and was less about Charlie and more about what interested David.
I had the feeling while reading that David considered Charlie as a resource, someone he could capitalize on as the subject of a book. Above all else, regardless of how David spun the story, it seems that Charlie’s biggest accomplishment was living to 109 years old.
Our 10-member book club read this and had lots of opinions. Not everyone liked the book, or the author, but we all had plenty to discuss without even referring to the discussion questions. (A first).
If you are considering reading this book, just be aware there is less of Charlie in this book than there is of author David Von Drehle. For every bit of “wisdom” shared by Charlie, there are David’s speculations and assumptions. ( )