Red Stevens owned everything a man could ask for and gave his family a piece of that everything. However, right before he died, Red Stevens realized that by giving them everything, he had given them nothing. While most of his family members were lost causes because of his mistake, one stood out with potential to learn. That one was in store for the "year to end all years." That one was his nephew, Jason. The Ultimate Gift takes the reader through Jason's incredible work to gain his Uncle Red's inheritance, "the ultimate ...
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Red Stevens owned everything a man could ask for and gave his family a piece of that everything. However, right before he died, Red Stevens realized that by giving them everything, he had given them nothing. While most of his family members were lost causes because of his mistake, one stood out with potential to learn. That one was in store for the "year to end all years." That one was his nephew, Jason. The Ultimate Gift takes the reader through Jason's incredible work to gain his Uncle Red's inheritance, "the ultimate gift." Every step of the way there is a lesson about appreciating the many nonmaterial gifts that are provided for us, which are the true source of happiness.
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This book makes you think through what's really important in life, doing so in a clever way. You never know what the next chapter will bring. A good book club book.
itsallmyjunk
Dec 15, 2008
Excellent!
This is probably the most inspiring book I've ever read. I loved this book. The first two chapters were slighlty slow but from there on I couldn't put this book down. It is a fast read for even a slow reader. The book is laid out with the twelve gifts as the twelve months take place.
If you have seen the movie- you HAVE NOT read the book! I was slightly disappointed in the movie (which turns into more of a love story than a lesson in life). You've probably heard many people say the book is always better than the movie and it couldn't be more TRUE with this book. You miss so much of the gifts and the relationships as they grow in the book when it is transfered to the screen. The main character even changed from the book version of a great-nephew to a grandson in the movie (Jason).
Jason's journey, while more extreme than many "ordinary folk" can still easily be related to what we all wish we had at a simplistic level.
While it is somewhat predictable, what you can't predict is how much this book will influence your life and have you thinking about it for months and years to come. I first read this book probably four years ago and I think back to the lessons- "the gifts" time and time again. I have purchased this book for many people and passed it along. Even my twelve year old daughter and sixteen year old son have read the book and told friends about it.
You'll wish you could experience the gifts that Red gives Jason. An absolute recommend!!
