I want to get a book for a friend and do not know what to give him. He is 23, his dad died 6 months ago, he has to pay 1/2 the mortgage with his mum, help support 2 younger high school aged siblings, wants to go to university but cannot afford to leave his family in this situation, all his friends have moved/ or are having babies in the last year, crashed his car recently because he was so tired he fell asleep at the wheel. To say more personal things about him- He is a minority in a town of 6 000, works on a farm & hates it, loves Che Guevera- Rage Against the Machine- Ben Harper, plays guitar &drums, writes great poetry, is super smart, has a strong sense of justice. I know it sounds like he needs counselling, but he is not that type of guy. He loves to read &I want to give him something to lift his spirits & encourage him to make a positive change in his life.
2007-01-18 00:48:33 · 8 answers · asked by animalluvr 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Try Mya Angelou's book that she put out a few years ago.
Her book has been great with getting me past difficult times, and lifting my spirits.
2007-01-18 00:57:54 · answer #1 · answered by Lynne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy him a poetry book. Seems he would like that a lot. Also, try to get your town or churches to do a fundraiser or a bank fund that will help the family pay the bills so he can go to college. I know how it feels to go through that. Execpt we didnt have help and I had to work 2 jobs, day and night at the age of 16. I didnt get to go to college until I was married. So many opportunities passed me by. Seems to me he needs financial help more than a book. A book will only bring his spirits up so much. A nice gesture indeed and well intended. But try to help the family financially. Good Luck!
2007-01-18 01:03:55 · answer #2 · answered by bunnicula 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Man o man, do I have just the right book for you. or your friend. It was just published last year. It's called Red Bird Just Like This. It's an autobiographical novel written by a guy with some similar problems. The author is Earl Jesse Stevens. It's full of humor, sardonic wit, and wildness. Inspirational? To the nth. Your friend sounds like the perfect audience for this gut wrencher of a book.
Don't waste your time on anything else.
2007-01-18 07:22:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can't give any specific titles, but one more thing to consider: maybe he wants something escapist? Fiction or nonfiction? Of Fiction with a sort of uplifting moral? 'Five People you Meet in Heaven' is a good story, although it might not be teh best for someone like him- I"m not sure it's a 'guy' book.
An inspiring biography or autobiography might help, perhaps if it's by or about someone of his own minority.
2007-01-18 01:28:30 · answer #4 · answered by tarkenberg199 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
K, first of all maybe you can encourage him to start exercising. This will help him get a sense of himself and create a goal that he can work to achieve. I highly recommend yoga (i am an instructor) to help him get focused and in shape. Also, in the yoga community there are a lot of people who will be empathetic to his situation.
As far as books go, try anything by Deepak Chopra or "Real Magic" by Dr. Wayne Dyer or Louise Hay
Hope this helps and my prayers are with your friend :)
2007-01-18 00:58:03 · answer #5 · answered by LionessB 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't if this guy is Catholic or not, but here is a website for Inspirational books. Liguori.org I know they have books there that would help lift his spirits. I used to work there.
2007-01-21 17:12:14 · answer #6 · answered by mischief014 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok this might sound strange but there is nothing like Attila Jozsef or Miklos Radnoti at times like that. Both are Hungarian, but are translated...there might be someproblems getting them, but there are some poems on the internet too
2007-01-18 01:46:26 · answer #7 · answered by nii 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would try Mindstore by Jack Black - its a fantastic book
2007-01-18 02:43:09 · answer #8 · answered by topsyandtimbooks 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋