Ultimate Gift

This is a definite must read! After reading it we decided to give each of our grandchildren the book as a Christmas gift this year with the promise of reading it and reporting back to us. We have only one granddaughter (20) and she was first to report back with very insightful understanding of the books meaning and lessons for life. Jim Stovall was remarkable in making clear to his readers that true life is not bought with money!! Now we wait patiently for a report from our 6 grandsons ages 14 to 24. We know each of them will understand Jim Stovall's message of hard work, love, compassion, kindness, patience, trials, learning, family and friends and the journey of life! Fabulous read!

There is a great message in this easy-read. I gave a copy to each young adult grandchild to read and share with others. I knew they’d love it. This book can change your thinking. So needed, by so many!

This is a book that should be read by everyone. If you can't read then see the video, it will change you life.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I reccomend it to everyone. I wish I had learned these lessons of life and hope that I have passed them on to my children.

Everyone got a piece of the pie when Red Stevens died- a portion of his multibillion dollar estate- except for Jason, the 24 year old fictional character in Jim Stovall's "the Ultimate Gift". Born with a silver spoon and never having worked a day in his life, Jason was eager to find out what he would inherit from his late great uncle. You could imagine how disturbed he was when he learned he had to accomplish twelve tasks (in the name of "gifts") to win the ultimate prize; what he hoped would be a giant fortune! The story unfolded as I unwrapped these surprising "gifts" along with Jason, one by one. It was surely a fun ride! Read this book if you are interested in discovering the real gifts in life! Jim Stovall is a great storyteller you don't want to miss. Also if you love exploring infinite possibilities and want to lead a happy and satisfying life, check out this amazing book by Ariel and Shya Kane, "Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment". The stories in this book are so sweet, profound and life-altering! The Kanes are masters in communicating their messages across in fun and inspiring ways. I read it repeatedly and am still pretty amazed each time I picked it up. Don't miss their other books as well: "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Can Instantaneously Transform Your Life" and "How to Create a Magical Relationship". I recommend all of them!

I received this book as a gift shortly after watching the movie by the same name - I was greatly impressed with the movie and anxious to read the book (since everyone knows that the book is always better than the movie). This book is no exception to that rule - an outstanding read and it was as easy to read as the movie was to watch. This is a novel, a work of fiction that drives home some real life points! The premise of the book is about what's really important in life - is it what we build with our hands or the money and worldly success we achieve, or is it something more than that, something that isn't tangible and can't be bought or sold for any amount of money? In his final will, a dying wealthy man tries to communicate from the grave the true meaning of life to a family member who up until this point hasn't got a clue! I would think that this book could probably be read to children in upper elementary school and could be read by 7th or 8th graders on their own. The book should be read by parents first so that they can engage their children in conversation along the way. While the book isn't overtly Christian, you'll find that the lessons taught in this novel are very similar to the wisdom shared in the Book of Proverbs and throughout Scripture. Stovall isn't preaching, but he sure can drive a point home with this story; and these twelve "gifts" passed from one generation to the next are essential for each and every one of us to learn as well. While some say that the movie isn't as good as the book, I say that they are a pretty good compliment of each other. The movie takes various liberties with the book to get this message on screen, but you won't be disappointed with either. The book is written to provoke thought and discussion and families should use them as tools to teach valuable life lessons to their children - Red Stevens would have wanted it that way!

I started this book by looking at the Table of Contents. In the Beginning. A Voice from the Past. The Gift of Work. The Gift of Money. The Gift of Friends. What is this? Is this the kind of book I want to read?I flipped to the back cover of the book for insight to the contents. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to read the last will and testament of Howard 'Red' Stevens.." "Red Steves was a self-made man who gave his family everything-and ruined them in the process. Now, as his estate of oil companies and cattle ranches is divided among the greedy and self-serving relatives, one member is singled out for something special: Red's great-nephew, Jason. In a darkened room, isolated from the rest of his family, Jason is confronted by the image of deceased great uncle on a video monitor . . ."I began Chapter One out of curiosity. It was a story, not a touchy-feely book, like I feared. The narrative comes from an eighty-year old attorney who is reading the will of a very successful long-term client who had become a close, dear friend. As part of the inheritance, the old man's grand-nephew, a spoiled brat sort of young man, is given a special bequest. Each month he is to return to the attorney's office for a learning assignment. If he stays with the program successfully, meeting the approval of the attorney, he gains the Ultimate Gift. If he quits or doesn't meet the grade at any time, he loses his opportunity for the Ultimate Gift. As the book progresses through the chapters, the young man, Jason, transforms from an insolent know-it-all to a much different person. The series of learnings, prescribed each month by the old man by videotape, gives a new meaning to Jason's life. Each of the gifts, a learning, is described in Jason's words as he gains new realizations.I found myself surprisingly captivated by this book. I couldn't put it down. No, it's not a mystery or thriller, but it certainly held my attention. I can think of a number of people I know who would surely benefit from this book. One will receive my copy shortly as a very meaningful gift.A word about the author. Jim Stovall has overcome blindness to become a national champion Olympic weightlifter, a successful investment broker, and entrepreneur. He is co-founder and president of the Narrative Television Network, which makes movies and television accessible to our nation's 13 million blind and visually impaired and their families. With revealing more about this man's incredible background (see page 124), I "got" that this is a man to be listened to. You'll gain the same feeling as you read The Ultimate Gift.