Posted by Anne Bradshaw
http://annebradshaw.blogspot.com/
Monday, July 28, 2008

Book Review--Caught in the Headlights

I enjoyed reading a new book that's in stores right now. The author is Barry K. Phillips and his book carries a foreword by Glenn Beck. Titled, Caught in the Headlights, this book is both entertaining and enlightening in a unique way. I had to keep reading because I saw myself in so many of the situations Barry describes. His style is relaxed and easy to understand, and he makes good use of homegrown poetry and cartoons to help ideas sink into the memory cells.

From the back of the book: “From goals such as happiness, self-esteem, protecting our pride, or the perfect physique, Phillips takes a closer look at those aims prized by society and explores how we can pursue higher goals.”

From United States Congressman Christopher B. Cannon: “I really love this book, Barry discusses the core values that we all would do well to live by. If he can figure these things out, you’d think my colleagues in Congress could! We’d all be a lot better off if they’d get caught in the headlights once in a while’”

I asked Barry some questions about Caught in the Headlights and his answers are below:

1. What category or genre would you put this book in?
I guess the genre is in the self-help category, but I'd like to think that it's also just a plain old entertaining book to read. I wrote the kind of book I like to read, which means it has to be fun.

2. What does the term "caught in the headlights" have to do with the concept of the book?
Have you ever seen how deer get frozen in their tracks when headlight's hit them? This book is about those "caught in the headlights" moments that I've experienced in my life - moments that I think we all experience - where I've realized I was after the wrong things. The thing is, even if you get those things, you come up wanting. The ten lessons in the book are about very common things that we think we want, but we really don't.

3. Did you really write and draw the cartoons at the beginning of each chapter?
Yes I did. Growing up, I always thought I'd draw for Disney or maybe do a cartoon strip. I have a confession... I thought up all 10 cartoons in about a two-hour period, while mucking out our horse stalls. Maybe the manure cleared my head, or clouded it, depending on your point of view.

4. Tell us more about your artistic skills and how/when you've used them before this.
I've done a bit of oil painting, but not for years now. Cartooning has always been my favorite. I have even developed a cartoon strip over the years, but have never pursued it past that stage. Professionally, I started working as a commercial artist in an advertising agency at the age of 17, and I've used those skills in many ways over my career from creating magazines to doing marketing campaigns or developing websites.

5. The format of the book is unique, tell us about that.
Each chapter starts with a cartoon about the subject of that chapter. That's followed by listing what I thought I wanted. After some discussion about all of that, with hopefully some insight and humor along the way, I finally get to the lesson learned and what to do about it. At the end of each chapter is also a poem about the subject as well. I know that sounds a little strange, but it's not like that poetry that put you to sleep in high school English - I promise. You'll just have to read the book to see what I mean!

6. So your book is about things we all commonly think we want, and spend a lot of time pursuing, only to find out we're after the wrong things. Can you give us a peek into some of them?
Well, a few of the things we commonly pursue that we shouldn't include happiness, self-esteem, control, success, and that oh-so-perfect body, to name a few. Those all sound like good things, right? Well, by the time you are done with the book, hopefully you'll see that there are some different (by different I mean better) things you should be going after.

7. What is your favorite thing about the book?
That it's done and published! Actually, I loved writing it and was a little sad when that part was done. I guess my favorite part of the book is probably the chapter about wanting control over your life. There are some great lessons I learned about that, and they've really made a difference in my life.

8. How long have you been writing this book?
It took me about four months. Not full time, of course - real life got in the way. I'm actually a pretty fast writer and I was able to knock out a single chapter in just a couple of extended sessions per chapter. The poems came later, as did the cartoons. Laptops are a beautiful thing, especially while on camping trips with my family.

Barry loves to write, has been editor-in-chief of a national magazine, and written for Glenn Beck’s Fusion Magazine. He has also written for a political website. Barry spent most of his professional career in the high-tech arena, and is currently creating an online learning system for a major corporation.

Caught in the Headlights by Barry K. Phillips, is now available at bookstores; by telephone 1-800-sky-book; or on-line at Cedar Fort or Barry Phillips website. It can also be purchased at Amazon.com.

Caught in the Headlights
Trade Paperback: 116 pages
Publisher: Cedar Fort (June 2008)
ISBN-10: 1599551675
ISBN-13: 978-1599551678