George DawsonLife Is So Good

My husband and I read this aloud to each other. Thank you to Mr Glaubman for collaborating with Mr George Dawson to tell his story. What an absolute gem! Highly recommend!

Really enjoyed this book. His perspective on life stayed positive despite the injustice he witnessed and experienced. Knew, and worked with many people like him when I was much younger.

I like the book has a good story, and worth the read.

From the title, I expected a slightly cheesy, feel-good story. Actually it was a pretty good chronicle of what it was like to grow up as a black boy in the pre-Civil Rights South. His upbringing was exemplary: strong work ethic, respect for all, though he was especially coached to be respectful to whites, employers, etc. He rode the rails to see the northern hemisphere, not something most people today have acquaintance with. There was never any fishing for sympathy for the poverty he began with, and he was still claiming "Life is So Good" when he was 100+. It was a read I recommend, including as a primary source document for history teachers. Life Is So Good: One Man's Extraordinary Journey through the 20th Century and How he Learned to Read at Age 98

This was a book club selection….every person loved the story and admire this man! Should be a school requirement! …

Life is So Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman "One man's extraordinary journey though the twentieth century and how he learned to read at age 98." Worth buying for school, friends, or relatives. Winner of the Christopher Award -- books that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit."Discovered this in Barnes & Noble while looking for a book that would meet a dual credit history teacher's requirements for content (and mine for length, dialog, action, readability). This went WAY beyond my criteria because of the inspirational story and moral examples. LOVED it for so many reasons. A few...100 years of history told through the common man's pov, who happens to be black, sees first hand how people judge (and kill) based on skin color alone, relays life in a small Texas town growing up, travels the country as a young man, returns to Texas to raise a family, demonstrates perseverance, gratitude, wisdom of elders, importance of reading and lifelong learning. Bought extra copies for school, the original story and the sequel for self.My only complaint...reader's guide question #12 in the back. "As they rode home in their wagon after seeing a lynching, George Dawson's father told his angry and outraged 10 year old son, "You have no right to judge another human being. Don't you ever forget." Ninety years later, George Dawson recounted, "I didn't know it then, but his words set the direction my life would take even till this day." Do you agree with George Dawson's father that it is never okay to judge someone? Do you think there are times when anger is a better response than acceptance?"Imo, there should have been a question similar to..."What's the difference between judging the actions of a person as harmful and unwise, and judging the person as a whole?" (Hate the sin, not the sinner. Judge not, least ye be judged. We are walk in different shoes on the earth school journey...that kinda thing. ;-) How about this one, "Do you think there are people who know how to accept all human beings where they are, yet stand firm against their unwise choices...without the need of fear based anger?" Or for more mature readers "Anger is the protective emotion we feel when we believe our needs are not being met. Is it possible to react out of faith and love instead of fear in any situation?" (I.e., How does one become a saint? Not that I'm planning on getting there in this lifetime ;-)...but removing fear and reacting out of faith is my eventual state of being.)

My wife read this book many years ago. I started reading in earnest earlier this year (2019). This is my 20th book now. Here is what I want to say about this book.When my wife determined that I was serious about reading more, she handed me the hard copies of three of her favorite books. I placed them on the night stand beside my bed. There were two books by Ernest Gaines, A Gathering of Old Men and In My Father's House and this book. They laid on my night stand until I finished all of Dennis Lehane's books.Finally I read both Gaines books and I just finished this one. It is wonderfully written and is full of life's lessons. I grew up as a sharecropper also making molasses, picking cotton, and plowing a mule. Neither of my parents finished high school but both had excellent parenting skills. There eight children and five of us were able to get education beyond high school. So much of this book speaks to my life.Do yourself a favor, get this book; read it and try to employ as many of the enclosed life's lessons as you can.

I liked that the true story was intertwined with history as this gentleman worked so hard and finally did learn to read.

This is one of my favourite biographies about a man who was illiterate until he learned to read and write in his 90’s.That’s pretty amazing but not the most memorable aspect of this book. The man himself and the story of his life is extraordinary an inspiration. I hope a lot of people get to read this wonderful book

It's not money that makes life so good ... it's your attitude...... ....... ....... ....... ....... ...... ........ .........

La vita di George Dawson e' un'autentica storia di esperienze che attraversano tutto il novecento fino ad arrivare all'inizio degli anni duemila. Un uomo di colore vissuto e cresciuto con forti valori morali e con convinzioni che si sono poi evolute con il passare di un secolo, sofferenze e soddisfazioni, partenze e ritorni, scoperte affascinanti e situazioni diverse e diversificate. Questa storia e', a mio avviso, uno di quei racconti veritieri che hanno, riga dopo riga, una notevole energia positiva volta ad ispirare il lettore. Per chi pensa che il tempo non sia un ostacolo per la propria evoluzione e miglioramento potra' trovare, nella storia di George, una conferma circa questo modo di pensare. Si e' sempre in tempo a fare quello che si desidera veramente. Chi invece pensa che arrivati ad una certa eta' sia quasi un'obbligo rinunciare ai propri sogni puo' capire quanto lo scorrere degli anni non sia in realta' un sintomo di invecchiamento, se lo stato d'animo rimane quello di un ragazzo di vent'anni, ma solo un'opportunita' di accrescere la propria conoscenza e saggezza. Il racconto delle esperienze di un uomo, che gia' a quattro anni si trovava nei campi di cotone per aiutare i suoi genitori a sbarcare il lunario, ci fanno rivivere alcuni importanti avvenimenti accaduti negli Stati Uniti sotto un altro punto di vista. Non voglio svelare troppi dettagli per non rovinare la sorpresa al lettore ma posso solo dirvi che un uomo di colore agli inizi del novecento, e primo genito, non aveva la possibilita' di andare a scuola ed imparare a leggere e scrivere, ma George Dawson ha imparato tutto cio' ad un'eta' che scoprirete durante la lettura. Rimmarrete sbalorditi per ogni esperienza vissuta, per ogni frase e parola riportata nel racconto e, cosa piu' importante, scoprirete che la semplicita' e' la chiave di una vita felice. Come dice George “la vita e' cosi' bella ed ogni giorno che passa diventa migliore”. Lettura consigliatissima per le emozioni che travolgono il lettore pagina dopo pagina, per la scorrevolezza del testo, per la scoperta di avvenimenti successi durante i primi anni del novecento e per la forza ed energia positiva che rimane dopo la lettura di ogni capitolo fino all'apoteosi del finale meraviglioso. Spero ci possa essere presto anche la versione in italiano perche' essa e' una storia che tutti dovrebbero leggere. Buona lettura.

I found when I was reading this book I could not put it down. I saw this man on the Oprah Winfrey show and that was why I felt I had to buy it and I am so glad I did. His stories were really interesting and written in such a way as you felt you were there with him. Highly recommend. I tried to get this book from other sources and could not get it anywhere else and the price was fantastic.