|
Posted by
Kerry Blair
http://kerryblair.blogspot.com
August 4, 2008
Caught in the Headlights
 Unlike
many readers and reviewers, I wasn’t drawn to this book by the
foreword by Glenn Beck or the enthusiastic back-cover endorsements
of a Utah author, legislator, and/or radio personality. In the first
place, I am not as politically conservative as most people think I
am—too much NPR, I fear—and I live in the wrong state to know much
of anything about Barry Phillip’s other notable fans. I read the
book because of the backliner:
We've all had those “deer in the headlights” moments when we
realize we’ve been chasing the wrong things. Caught in the
Headlights: Ten Lessons Learned the Hard Way is a frank,
insightful look at ten key goals most of us think we want—only to
discover our eyes are on the wrong prize. Barry K. Phillips not only
entertains, but also examines common values, and enlightens us to
the goals we should seek, and what to do differently now that we
know better.
The ten “values” most of us seek? Happiness, self-esteem, pride,
freedom, control, tolerance, forgiveness, success, the “big event,”
and the perfect body. Alas, he is probably dead-on in his assessment
of the human condition. (Or maybe he just has me pegged.) Most
self-help authors and motivational speakers with Phillips’s keen
insight and sharp moral compass are to be avoided at all costs. If
they don’t lecture you to within an inch of your life, they will
almost certainly drive you to antidepressants. Phillips not only
holds the lectures—or at least disguises them very, very well—he is
most likely to drive you to sudden fits of uncontrollable laughter.
The good news? This very readable and highly enjoyable book will not
only make you take a good hard look at your life and possibly
resolve to change for the better, it will entertain you and put you
in a better mood while you are at it.
In the interest of fairness, I ought to warn you that Barry Phillips
is a bit of a show-off. (This is written tongue-in-cheek for those
of you who have difficulty determining the inflection in my often
murky writing-style.) Not only does he explore each value clearly
and candidly, but he illustrates each point with an often-insightful
cartoon. As if exposition and illustration weren’t enough for one
man, at the end of each essay he tosses in an original poem too . .
. I’m not really sure why he did that . . . probably just to prove
that he could! This guy is so adept at artistic multi-tasking that
it wouldn’t surprise me to learn he’s composed theme music to
accompany each section. (Somebody let me know if a soundtrack
becomes available.)
Caught in the Headlights is a short book at about a hundred
pages, but don’t let the brevity alone draw you in. It’s a ploy.
This is a book you will need to read at least twice—I have—and then
put in an easily-accessible location so you can pick it up for
reference again and again—I did. In a word, Mr. Phillips: Bravo! Oh,
wait. Let's make it two words; I need to add another: Thanks!
· Paperback: 116 pages (including forward by Glenn Beck)
· Publisher: Cedar Fort (June 2, 2008)
· ISBN-10: 1599551675
· ISBN-13: 978-1599551678 |
