Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure

This book is a bit like cotton candy: You get the feeling that there may be a lot there, but in the end, there's a good taste in your mouth, but not much more.It's a great one-hour read. Many of the six-word "memoirs" are very clever, and some are touching. However, like some other reviewers, I bought the book on the strength of a radio interview with the editor. I learned that he read a large fraction of the best ones on air; there wasn't much more in the book.Be advised, too, that though the book is 225 pages long, most of the pages contain just two or three of the six-word memoirs. There is a LOT of dead, white space in there.This isn't to say that I disliked the book. On the contrary, I enjoyed it a lot. It's just that when I finished, I had the feeling I had bought less for my money than I originally thought I was buying.

Heartfelt, funny, and poignant mini-memoirs. ( ... in six words 😏)

Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure Not many books inspire readers to get out pen and pencil and start writing their personal life stories. Especially in six words! Did W.C. Fields really request for his gravestone "I'd rather be in Philadelphia"? OK, he's not in the book (probably because he was one word short). Still, his may have been prototype for this fun little volume. Some are lighthearted (Mullings' "Fat jolly bearded origami-folding accountant"); some profound (Santiago's "Mixed blood. I am America's future). Somewhere in this book, the reader will either find his/her story or the inspiration to play with words and make of them a personal Truth. For me, "SWF with older home seeks carpenter" does it. Readers who try it will like it.

This book is highly addictive. On the one hand, it's absolutely amazing how much meaning and subtext and nuance can be squeezed into little six word sentences. On the other hand, the universality of the shared experiences are truly touching. Finally, it was hard to put the book down ... but I had to, because I had to sit and think, deeply, about some of these sentences and what they meant and what they implied about the person who wrote them. In that sense, they are like poems / haiku / koans.You may be tempted to read 50 in one sitting - but I advise you to read only a few at a time and really dwell on them. This book is highly re-readable; and the index by subject, at the back, is invaluable.

I loved this book. I first heard about it because it was quoted in a section of my English 101 book. Right after I read the excerpt, I signed on to Amazon and ordered it.I got it in the mail the day my friend came to visit, and after a long day of exploring Seattle, we sat down and flipped through the book. He'd say a random number, like 13, and I'd open it up to a random page and count them until I reached the 13th one. Then, which ever one I landed on, he'd try to relate to it in some way. Sometimes they were sad and we'd talk about what we thought the person meant, and sometimes they were just funny and we had a good laugh. Some of the quotes are really relate-able and I think that's my favorite thing about it. Even when I finished reading it, I was glad to have it around so I could share it with other people.Great buy.

This was a fascinating book. What 6 words would YOU choose to characterize your life to this point? Such was the mission for everyone queried for this book. I was only turned off by some of the foul language, although I certainly readily admit that vulgarities invade our speech on a regular basis.

Here is a stimulating idea to add energy to your next staff meeting or department meeting at work: six-word memoirs. Ask team members to summarize their autobiographies in exactly six words. Example: "Followed rules, not dreams. Never again." Or: "Oldest of five. Four degrees. Broke." And another one: "Boy, if I had a hammer." And I like this one: "Type A personality. Type B capability."The examples are from this wonderful book with the six-word title, "Not Quite What I Was Planning." It showcases over 1,000 six-word memoirs. The editors report that Ernest Hemingway was challenged to write a six-word story. His poignant response: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." So what is your six-word story?I wear many hats, including grandfather, management consultant, weekly eNewsletter editor and more. Thinking of my eNews, here are my six words:Read book.Write review.Repeat weekly.Caution! The six-word memoirs are entertaining, sad, silly and even serious. Some (no surprise) are offensive--but those are their stories. (Don't leave the book on your lobby coffee table. It will likely offend some customers.)So, at your next staff meeting, ask two questions: 1) What is your six-word story? 2) Or, what is the six-word memoir of our organization or department?

It's said that Ernest Hemingway wrote the shortest story ever: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."The storytelling website, Smith Magazine, challenged people to do the same with memoir, and editors have compiled nearly a thousand of the best submissions into this collection.While some resemble epitaphs, most, like Hemingway, say enough in six words to evoke a full narrative arc. There are stories of vulnerability, misfit, humor, and cleverness. The compilation is not only entertaining, it's inspiring: you can't help but consider your own memoir, even while you imagine some of these into full-length books.

pensé que era otra cosa. Realmente son frases de seis palabras que me dejaron indiferente y no me aportaron nada.Hay libros de citas muy atractivos y que te llenan cuando los lees..... y los puedes volver a leer o recurrir a ellos para buscar una cita motivadora. No es el caso.Es lo que es y bueno es saber lo que se esconde entre sus páginas. Si lo sabes, adelante. Yo como he dicho al principio pensé que iba a ser otra cosa

As warned in the description, the covers look obviously used. However, the inside was in perfect conditions. The product matches the expectations.

I really enjoyed reading these 6 word memoirs - they were a great challenge to create your own. Over and over and over again. :D

Missed quaranteed arrival date and unable to use for purpose intended