Review: How Starbucks Saved My Life

“ How Starbucks Saved My Life” is a autobiographical endeavor of Michael Gates Gill; a fortunate person since his childhood, a Yale University pass out who holds a successful career in a well-known advertising agency. His life graph has always moved in upward (progressive) direction, with frequent promotions at company until he was struck hard by life. Suddenly his well-organized, “complete” life falls apart and at times he struggles even to make ends meet. But out of blue comes a hope in form of Starbucks and starts a new phase of his life at the ripe age of sixties. This autobiography is a tale of a reputed company’s top creative director’s new “Avatar” as a Starbucks partner; his struggle to forget his past and getting adjusted in new life, with new kind of people, new environment and work culture, changing social life and most importantly new JOB PROFILE.

I had read about this book on a blog and instantly conceived it to be an appealing book (Although now I think I overestimated to some extent). After reading about it wanted to get a copy of this book so badly and wanted to finish it ASAP :). Michael Gates Gill is not a professional writer, as some someone can perceive, but has done a fairly good job with words and has managed to narrate episodes in free flowing manner. Book is an easy read, incidents are narrated as it happened. Gill lapses into past sometimes but it barely looks irrelevant to me. Most importantly, what I liked about the book is that it’s full of positive thinking, a particular type that one needs in times of crisis. I liked the way Michael Gill took the opportunity so positively and tried to make the best out of one chance (and possibly the last chance) he got from life amidst the entire crisis.

Only thing that bothered me was more than necessary words of appreciation for “Starbucks”, I mean it’s obvious to feel gratitude towards something that helped save your but over sweetness is bad for health and you know what I mean, right? ;)

But overall you can grab the book and feel good when you are struggling with blue kind of mood and want to read something light yet encouraging.

YAY !!!

“I'm glad I did it, partly because it was worth it, but mostly because I shall never have to do it again” - Mark Twain

This is exactly my feeling when I passed the written exam for driver’s license (Sadly, behind the wheels test yet to go). The full 100 pages drivers’ license rulebook was driving me nuts ever since I first saw it. I just kept wondering how would someone drive and survive cramming whole of this dreaded book that is full of enough rules to distract your balance (Mental if not physical).

But now…. a big sigh of relief as I am through the written exam .

Anton Chekhov Words

Lately I have been reading some short stories by Anton Chekhov and decided to do random googling on quotes by this Russian writer. As usual Google didn’t disappoint me and I could found some brilliant quotes on website ThinkExist.

Below is khichadi of all those quotes I liked, with some mari-masala of course ;)

• “Any idiot can face a crisis, it is this day-to-day living that wears you out.” – Although many will not agree, but who cares!

• “Love, friendship and respect do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something.” – Loved this one, so true

• “The University brings out all abilities, including incapability.” – I Agree ;)

• “Life does not agree with philosophy: There is no happiness that is not idleness, and only what is useless is pleasurable.” – Finally, I found someone like minded
  

• “No psychologist should pretend to understand what he does not understand... Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand nothing.” – Do you understand that ??!!???

• “To advise is not to compel.” – People… please listen

A Sweet Short # 2

A Day in The Country by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

This is a story of three unlikely friends and a day in their life. Fyokla, Danilka and Terenty are a trio out of which 2 friends far younger (almost children) than the third friend. The day for these three unfortunates (Although, fortunate enough to have each other!) starts with a trouble and as the day progresses they also sail with the day; overcoming little adversities, observing wonders of nature, sharing their experiences and moments together.

Story is so simple and fluid and yet recited with wonderful effectiveness to hold one’s interest. I specially loved the parts where detailed descriptions of nature and country provinces are given. I almost feel that I am living that part; experiencing rain and magical changes in nature.

I liked the story for its gentleness in writing, warmth of relations and beautiful descriptions of Nature.

Story can be found here

A Sweet Short

‘She was always fond of some one and could not exist without loving’

Says the opening paragraph of “The Darling” introducing its protagonist in perfect words. Well, I read this short, but warm and affectionate story “The Darling “ written by 18th Century Russian Anton Chekhov. I found “The Darling” on a very fabulous website treasure called “Classic Shorts” (This website, in real sense, is a treasure of classic short stories from various authors)

“The Darling” is a story (set in era of 18th century) of a Russian lady called Olenka. As the title suggests Olenka was such endearing person that people called her ‘Darling’. She was made to love and to be loved, Love was driving force behind her existence. Story gives you trip of Olenka’s affection towards her relationships and how love drives her life through years; her 2 marriages and 3rd love affair, her loneliness and bare life after their departure of them and finally rejuvenation of her interest in life.

I was almost glued to the story once I started it and finished it just about breathlessly. Later browsing Internet to know more about “The Darling”, I came to know that this short story is a well-celebrated work of its Russian writer Anton Chekhov.

I absolutely adored reading it for warmth of emotions in story and it’s simplicity.


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A Point to Ponder

Although I loved the story and completely understand and agree to its message of importance of love and relations in our life, what I could not relate to is, loneliness or say loss or distance from your loved ones will make you a numb person. As the story says Olenka’s whole existence rested on the pillars, her love interests (3 men she loved) and that was what defined her persona, her opinions, beliefs, views and expressions in life. When her destiny led her to live without them she was a person of emptiness without opinions, interests or feelings.

OK now …I know how parting from loved ones pains the heart and makes you feel wretched but you don’t stop living, you don’t become empty and stop being a person you have been all your life like Olenka. That’s possibly because Olenka never had never been herself, she always molded herself into mold of her better half and when the mold defining her was gone she was left with no shape.

But I think that’s my view and most possibly ONLY mine :)

* Story is available here