Living Legacies: How to Write, Illustrate and Share Your Life Stories

All of us have personal life stories to share, but many of us don't really know how to best preserve those stories for future generations. Living Legacies: How to Write, Illustrate, and Share Your Life Stories, from Duane Elgin and Coleen LeDrew, is filled with practical suggestions on how you can "uncover the seeds of stories in your life, [and] follow a simple process for writing them." Elgin and LeDrew on focus on what they call the "life story," which is more than photographs or a biography. Life stories delve into feelings about what happened or why it mattered. They incorporate visual images and memorabilia as well as the written word. As well as sharing events with others, "when we record our life stories, we enter a process of self-reflection that often leads to new insights about our lives." Recording a life story can be very simple, and often only takes only a page or two. Elgin and LeDrew provide step-by-step instructions for deciding what stories to share and how to get to the essence of each one. They also explain how to choose the visual images that best illustrate the story, with lots of examples. Stories can be simply typed out on plain paper, or they may incorporate fonts and backgrounds that enhance them. The authors explain how to choose what materials and techniques that best communicate what you want and how to best use your personal information and style. Life stories aren't just for the older generations-one chapter is devoted to helping children tell their special stories. The authors present their guidelines in a practical, easy-to-understand manner that allows lots of room for individual creativity. They also provide a resource guide with additional tips, organizations, and vendors of speciality materials. Your life is filled with unique and priceless experiences. Living Legacies provides all the information and tools you need to share those experiences with others.

A book like this, which is superbly written, is long over due to come in our midst. Think about it, for generations of human kind, almost all life experiences are lost forever when we individuals pass on. We've been left with a few diaries, history books, memoirs of famous people and other literary works but none that strikes at the heart of the rich indivdual experiences from us all that can so profoundly enrich the lives of our loved ones and others.The reader of "Living Legacies" has been given an fabulous opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of so many people by producing and sharing his/her own living legacy. This book shows the reader how clearly and simply it can be done. Every single sole owes it to themselves and to their loved ones to read this book and create their own living legacy. Too bad the rating system only goes to "5"; Id rate this one a "10" if I could.

"For it is in giving that we receive," is a phrase from the Prayer of St. Francis. I remember it so well from my childhood and am struck by how true this is in reference to this book. "Living Legacies" is the perfect gift to ourselves and our loved ones because, through Coleen's and Duane's gentle coaching, we open up memories that can bring healing, restoration, enrichment and so much more. Putting this inspiration to paper and sharing it makes both this process and the product a precious gift to the writer/giver and the recipient. I have given this book to more than 50 people since its publication in January of this year. Every single recipient has remarked on the quality of the information and the simple beauty of its message. This is a sure thing if you're looking for a special gift that communicates how much you care!

Rarely does one see such a comprehensive work involving this subject. Thus book has just enough detail included to help the reader to become the writer. Anyone with a family needs to read this and heed it's advice so as to be able to leave a history to the generations to follow. How often do we see folks struggle to find their heritage? Had previous generations followed the wisdom found in this book the knowledge would be readily available. Good work. I shall certainly recommend it to anyone who cares to leave their own legacy.

This book is a gem, it focuses on creating a history of yourself and your family. The reading is light, the activities focus on your life and you have the freedom to jump around to the parts which are most interesting. Besides my own writing which I keep for my eyes only, this book allows me to capture my life and my family for my children to read - and their children after that. If you and your family would like to be closer, this is a great way to spend time with one another.