Life's Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter

I found this to be one of the most inspirational self-help books that I've ever read. The majority of books that I've read on the subject were written by long winded authors, who come across as preachers on the subject of what matters in life, and thus end up writing a book that's so lengthy, the average reader would be hard pressed to get through it all. Hal Urban has succeeded in doing just the opposite. In a very readable and at times humorous style, he provides us with the 20 things that are most important for a happy and successful life. He starts out by stating that life isn't fair, so you need to get over this fact and get on with things. He talks about humor and laughter and how important these can be to a happy life. He provides numerous examples of lousy situations that we find ourselves in, and how to get out of them with relative ease. He readily admits that life is hard, but with the right attitude and willingness to change, anyone can learn to become happier and more successful. It does take work to achieve your goals, but with the guidance of the author, he makes the job so much easier than it would otherwise be. This is a book that gets to the point. There is no rambling, preaching, etc. Hal Urban uses many examples from his own life to get across the point that we all need help at times. Throughout the book, he provides us with the help that we need, and does so in a fashion which makes it so much easier than reading through hundreds of pages of psychobabble which is often the case with other well known authors.

I know that phrase is used a lot, but I don't use it a lot. I can honestly say that about THIS book....and I read a lot of self-help books. Not because I'm "messed up", but because I LOVE to learn. If I can read a book that can help me be a better person, I will read it...and not just READ....I absorb it and put it into practice. This book did that for me. It even changed the relationship I'm in. We are very serious, but have been having some communication problems. This book caused ME to change so much that my partner also changed and now our relationship has never been better. It showed (or reminded me) what kind of person I want to be, HOW to be that person, what is important in life, how to relate better to the people in my life that matter.....and I could just go on and on, but I won't. I just wanted to say that I got it at our library and it made SUCH an impact on me that I came here and bought the book used so I can go back OFTEN and refer to things I want to constently remember. To me, it's a book that EVERY person should read. I'm giving it as gifts to my grandchildren and children for their birthdays. GREAT BOOK!!!

This is an awesome inspirational book. I have been looking for a book on personal growth WITHOUT the emphasis of religion and/or fad self-help books. We live in a society where we want instant gratification for everything and we feel incomplete because the media tells us we are. We want things to "happen" to us as opposed to working toward anything. We are always underpaid and unhappy with they way things are going for us This book TELLS IT HOW IT IS- life is going to be hard, but the point is we ALWAYS have a choice. The author does not come across as "preaching" which is what turns me off other books. I reccommend this book to anyone graduating from High School, college, someone who feels like they are in a rut and can't get out, or someone who just wants to get back to the values we once related to true success a long time ago- having goals, having a positive attitude, hard work, patience, and affirming ourselves and others. This book is a great gift and a pretty fast read!

Hal Urban is a San Francisco Bay Area educator who focuses on teaching character education. In Life’s Greatest Lessons he covers “20 Things that Matter” in chapters with titles such as “Life is hard…and not always fair,” Attitude is a choice—the most important one you’ll ever make,” and Honesty is still the best policy.” All of these ideas are ones that most of us are aware of and largely support, but often fall short when it comes to doing them. Urban also provides examples of exercises he has done with students that teachers can emulate. He writes in a simple, practical way and cites numerous quotes and famous people to make his points. For example, on the topic of failure he quotes Ernest Hemmingway’s famous line in A Farewell to Arms, “ The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” The book is a quick read and has been very popular with over a quarter million copies sold to date.I rate this book at four stars rather than five because Urban does not consider the complexity of some of his points, but rather presents them as universal and unerring truths. For example, in chapter nine he talks about the importance of honesty. Yet there are times when being honest and truthful can hurt others. If your wife or girlfriend has a new hairdo and asks your opinion of it, should you tell her your true feelings (that it looks awful) or say something positive, if not exactly the truth? In this relatively short (162 pages) book, I suppose it is not possible to go into all sides of an issue. At the same time Urban comes off as a moralist who does not appreciate the complexities of modern life. A better, and deeper, approach to character and moral values can be found in Professor Peter Singer’s book, Practical Ethics, which I recommend along with Urban’s book.

My daughter gave me this book years ago. I am not a reader, but I could not put this down till I finished it. It’s a great book. I just retired, and I bought it for my boss as a gift. One book everyone should read.