Find out the latest indie author news. For FREE.

ADVERTISEMENT

Formats
Ebook Details
  • 10/2020
  • 978-1-7359006-1-2
  • 254 pages
  • $6.95
Terry Sweeney
Author
Pearls of Wisdom

Adult; Self-Help, Sex & Relationships, Psychology, Philosophy, Fashion

Pearls of Wisdom is filled with wonderfully practical advice. Each chapter deals with a particular area or challenge of life, and author Terry Sweeney never leaves his readers guessing as to how to face and fix life’s problems. Written against the backdrop of a fully and boldly lived life, Pearls takes tough issues head-on, issues such as the secrets we all keep (even to the point of poisoning our souls), the need to forgive others––even the most difficult people in our lives, and how to set compelling goals in our on-going effort to become better people. With a background as a U.S. Marine aviator, stock broker, and successful entrepreneur, this book puts Terry on the map with other writers from the business world who have learned and shared much. As you read these pages, you may be reminded of Og Mandino or Napoleon Hill. Terry Sweeney is also a man of faith. This is, in fact, the driving force in his daily life. He loves God, others, and this country with all his heart. Readers of Pearls of Wisdom will soon place it among their most valuable “go-to” books. Once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down.
Reviews
Sweeney’s readable and down-to-earth debut aims to help others live their best lives by sharing his own rocky—but frequently humorous—journey. The author shares how his 12-step program and faith in God guided him from destruction to restoration and revealed inspiring truths. In thematically focused chapters, Sweeney recounts episodes from his childhood and adulthood, starting with growing up in a Boston suburb and being educated at strict Catholic schools while dodging his parish's predatory priest. His father was a renowned WWII war hero and raging alcoholic secretly called “General Nuisance” by his children, and his mother was quick to use a belt as punishment. Despite years of physical and emotional abuse, Sweeney grew up to join the Marines, work as a stockbroker, become a successful businessperson, and get in touch with his feelings and faith.

The essays address a wide array of meaningful topics, including humility, trust, and pornography. Sweeney recounts both trauma and healing in conversational, often funny prose (“I understood what the people in the [12-step] group were talking about. Well, except for one lady who shared about talking to God while sitting on the toilet that morning.”) His sincere desire to help others is on frequent display: he recounts his rewarding experience as a mentor in the Big Brothers program; taking in two young women whose parents had kicked them out of their homes as teenagers; and offering school and career advice to his younger neighbors. Some readers, however, will be put off by Sweeney’s habit of referring to Covid-19 as “the Chinese virus” and government-provided cell phones as “Obamaphones,” and others will be alienated by the assertion that “most of the protesters” at Donald Trump’s rallies “make between $50 to $100 per day, just for carrying a sign.”

The book is at its best when imparting sage advice Sweeney received from his mentors, particularly 12-step program sponsors. Some of the counsel is simple (“Don’t die wondering”), but Sweeney’s heartfelt stories drive home his guidance in poignant and unforgettable ways. Sweeney and his tales make for entertaining companions along the bumpy road of life.

Takeaway: Sweeney’s conversational, funny prose makes for entertaining company along the bumpy road of life.

Great for fans of: Robert Fulghum's All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Phil McGraw's Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: B+

Formats
Ebook Details
  • 10/2020
  • 978-1-7359006-1-2
  • 254 pages
  • $6.95
ADVERTISEMENT

Loading...