Life Is So Good: One Man's Extraordinary Journey through the 20th Century and How he Learned to Read at Age 98

Amazing book. I couldn't put it down and was truly sad when it ended. Such an inspirational, humorous, humble and historical read. I highly recommend to anyone and everyone.

In 1993, sisters Sarah and Elizabeth Delany became overnight celebrities with the publication of their memoir, "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years," written in collaboration with New York Times reporter Amy Hill Hearth. It became a national bestseller, was adapted into a highly successful stage play and TV movie, and led to two more books by the Delanys."Sweet Sadie" and "Queen Bess," as they called one other, have since passed on. But picking up the torch is 101-year-old George Dawson, the principal author of "Life Is So Good," co-written with Richard Glaubman. The book was done as an oral history, and deals primarily with life in the South.The volume is an excellent read -- instructive, insightful, emotionally moving and inspiring. And while it covers nearly the same historical period as the Delany sisters' work, it examines the time from very different perspectives. The Delanys were light-skinned, professional women with college degrees, who spent most of their careers in New York City. Dawson, on the hand, was not only uneducated, but illiterate, and never rose above blue-collar work. In addition, he was dark of complexion, which undoubtedly raised the bar for him."Life Is So Good" is a page-turner, rushing forward like a well-written novel, and breathing with authenticity. The editor preserves Dawson's voice whenever possible, purposely not correcting the unschooled grammar. Because Dawson was not influenced by newspapers, books, or historical events as they happened, his story is his alone, and acts as a mirror to the times in which he lived. The book has a timeless quality that will make it good reading a century from now. It brings to mind two classics -- Alex Haley's "Roots" and Ralph Ellison's autobiographical novel, "The Invisible Man." Except for a structural flaw -- the unnecessary insertion of Glaubman himself into the body of the story, which disrupts the narrative flow -- this book could become a classic in its own right.Glaubman, an elementary school teacher in Washington state, was so moved by reading about Dawson in the newspaper that he traveled all the way to Dallas to meet him. Then, realizing the literary potential of Dawson's life story, he persuaded the older man to let him move into his house, so that he could record his story on tape. Glaubman deserves a great deal of credit for making the book possible, and editing it so well. But he would have done better to tell about his involvement in the project only in the introduction, and leave the rest of the book for Dawson. Perhaps he will consider doing this in a second edition.The book resembles "Roots" in its breathtaking detail about everyday life dating back to slavery. For this, Dawson relies on his own memory. He recalls the stories he heard directly from his grandmother, who was a slave during her childhood, and his great-grandmother, born in 1812, who was still alive during Dawson's early years. His account of t

The quote that titles this review is written at the end of chapter one. It is a chapter that were it to be isolated as a short story, it would make the final list for any awards in that category.There is no book I can compare this to, but if you take the wisdom of "Tuesday's With Morrie" and the struggles and triumph of the human spirit of "Angela's Ashes", you begin to approach this book, the story of the life of Mr. George Dawson.Mr. Dawson started school when he was 98 years old. He is now approaching 102 and continues to work for his High School Equivalency Degree. It is difficult to describe this man, as he has no peers who have shared his 102 year life. Four wives shared parts of his life, but Mr. Dawson continues to live after they all have passed away. Mr. Dawson does note that many women would like to marry him now, and he has not ruled the possibility out.What is Mr. Dawson like? In the book he muses as to why people say everything tastes like chicken, as an example Rattlesnake. However no one ever says anything tastes like Rattlesnake. Mr. Dawson is not "like" anybody. He is unlike anyone you know, anyone you have read about, he is an original, one of a kind. Every day that his life advances he becomes more unique, more of a treasure.The final chapters of this book are as dramatic as the first. Mr. Dawson has a decision to make, a decision that either will allow this book to become a reality, or for his life to remain kept only to those who have known him. To make this decision he relies upon advice his Father had given him as a young man. His Father followed this advice throughout his own 99 year life, and as Mr. Dawson states, "between my Father and I it worked for over 200 years".This is an astonishing story of a man who lived every year of the 20th century, a bit of the 19th, and is now exploring the 21st.The book tells a story that is remarkable, as the story it shares is of a life that has taken part in 3 centuries.A book that will make your all-time favorite list!

From the first chapter, an event that happens when Mr. Dawson was 10, to the last chapter, where there is "only" a dialogue, this book is riveting and very touching. I could hardly put it down (except that life sometimes insists on getting in the way :). Mr. Dawson has seen a lot of stuff, has immense wisdom, and is a great role model for us all, but yet neither he nor Mr. Glaubman are heavy handed at all. There is a light touch, a friendly, subtle touch, to the book, while, magically, it is simultaneously most profound. If you were to read only one book this year, this perhaps should be the one.

I originally bought 2 copies and am now ordering 9 more copies. There is so much wisdom in this book. It is a primer on life. It goes beyond "Tuesdays with Morrie". George Dawson is so positive and upbeat. I agree with the previous reviewer that this should be mandatory reading in schools, but I would lower the grades to Junior High School and maybe even 5th and 6th graders. George gives us a black man's perspective of life in the South in the first half of the 1900's. He also gives us an excellent work ethic and model for living. White and black children alike would benefit from the historical perspective. We all can benefit from his little philosophical statements here and there. I had lots of smiles while reading this, plus many tears. I remember the South (I'm white) when bathrooms, drinking fountains and restaurants were segregated. I was a child from California, to whom this was foreign. George brings these memories back, but in a non-judgemental way. He experienced the introduction of cars and airplanes, as well as the tragedy at Columbine High School. Through out, he has respect for others and a tolerance for differing perspectives. Buy this book. Read it, and then pass it on. Share it with your children. Discuss the contents. George Dawson has truly given us all a remarkable gift.

The reader is immediately introduced to life in east Texas through the eyes of a young black boy named George Dawson. At the age of ten, George is an eyewitness to the lynching of an innocent black teenager, who happens to be his friend, by an angry mob of local white men. This lynching is only the beginning of a well documented story of how life really was for a black living in the south . George has no chance to attend school, since his labor is needed to help support the family, but this does not deter George from having a positive outlook on life. Through out the book, George always is able to find a bright side and give thanks for what most people take for granted. At an early age, George is instructed by his father how black are expected to "respect" whites and not to ever do business with them. It is not until George is almost 100 years old does he finally break away from everything his father taught him and decides to do business with Richard Glaubman, the author of this book. We are very fortunate that George does decide to let Mr. Glaubman write of his life as the reader, especially white readers, finally see how life was for a black growing up in America from 1898 until the present. At the age of 98, George is able to start school and finally fulfill his life long desire to read. George is an inspiration to anyone who reads this book and Mr. Glaubman does an excellent job in documenting George's work and travel. His interaction with George, both as a friend and an author, helps to break the barrier of whites and blacks that has been instilled in George since his early childhood. I feel grateful that I read an article in THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE about Mr. Dawson as I immediately ordered the book and read it at once. This reviewer feels that this book should be on the mandatory reading list for all high school students, in hope that it would help the reader learn how to interact with others who may be different and most important that "LIFE IS SO GOOD".