The Book of Charlie
Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man
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4.5 • 134 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
One of our nation’s most prominent writers discovers the truth about how to live a long and happy life from the centenarian next door in this “original and highly readable account of a splendid American life” (The Wall Street Journal).
When a veteran Washington journalist moved to Kansas, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendship—and a profound lesson in the meaning of life. Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born before radio, Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic boyhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom. Thus armored, Charlie’s sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey of the Jazz Age, racing aboard ambulances through Depression-era gangster wars, improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery, and cruising the Amazon as a guest of Peru’s president.
David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie’s resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. As a gift to his children, he set out to tell Charlie’s secrets. The Book of Charlie is a “genuinely original, formula-shattering” (Bob Woodward) gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation—a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this feel-good entry, Washington Post opinion editor von Drehle (Triangle) collects life lessons from an enigmatic centenarian neighbor. Eager to help his children navigate the modern world, von Drehle sought a role model who'd weathered massive cultural shifts—a "true surfer on the sea of change"—and found one when his family moved next-door to then-102-year-old Charlie White (who died at 109, in 2014). Von Drehle befriended the former doctor and listened to stories from his life, which included train-hopping across the U.S. as a teen in the 1920s and working on cutting-edge anesthesia techniques in the '40s. Von Drehle explains how White balanced optimism and realism, as when he decided to specialize in anesthesiology (at a time when almost no doctors did so) after recognizing the days of house-call doctors were dwindling. White also embraced uncertainty when he abandoned his medical practice at 36 to serve in WWII—an acceptance of the unknown that's important in today's volatile professional climate, the author writes. While White's verbatim advice is sometimes trite ("Nobody's going to do it for you. You've got to do your own paddling"), von Drehle's detailed rendering of White's life—especially his front-seat view of (and sometimes participation in) groundbreaking medical developments—is fascinating, and the men's friendship affecting. This has a lot to offer.
Customer Reviews
Charming and easy to read
An easy read and full of practical life lessons. Worth your time
Almost
A fun read but felt it was cut-off and emotional crescendo just wasn’t there. 109 year life in about 200 pages. I think author told the story well but lots of missing pieces might have been edited out.
Inspiring
A joy to read…moving and uplifting. A great reminder to ‘keep my daubers up!’