How Starbucks Saved My Life

by Michael Gates Gill

On my way back home yesterday morning, I picked up this book from the airport bookstore as probably "smthing interesting to read" in the plane. Being a coffee lover and Starbucks fan myself (even though its considered a 'luxury' for me), the title and the book cover caught my attention the very first minute I saw it. After reading the review, I got more interested. I normally don't spend on books like this where I'll wait until book fairs to spend, but I bought this anyway :)

I'm half way reading this now, and I'm loving it already. This is a true story about a white American old man who had it all, lose it all, and gain it all back. It talks about how his life changed when he started to work in starbucks, with totally different circles of people, at a totally different environment, of a totally different "class" in society. He came to a state in life where he never would have imagined he would ever be at. And yet, here he learnt his most valuable lessons and gain his most significant experience in life :)

His experience has certainly changed some perspectives of mine, or make me think twice about some of my views. Stepping into my late twenties now, sometimes I figure life has already been more or less "set" for me by now - that I'll be leading certain kind of life (an engineer, even though many a times I hope not), in a certain kind of way (personalities, habits etc), within a certain kind of circle (families, friends) etc. But this guy here, Michael Gill Gates a.k.a Mike, experienced his changing point of life at the age of sixty four! After what I've read at this point, I've learnt that anything could happen at any stage of life. Nothing is set. Also I learnt from his experience that work is dignity, instead of responsibility or obligation, which mainly the society (including me) sees it.

That's so much I'll share for now about this book. Can't wait to finish it. Here's some interviews of Mike. His story is being or has been made into a film (Tom Hanks starring as Mike), but I've never heard of it. Will try to check it out. Tom Hank's movies are not bad :)

Comments

Rachfaith said…

I want to read it too~~~
has it just come out?

Ya, I reckon Tom Hanks is a good actor! =)

April 26, 2009 at 5:00 AM

Macchiato Gurl said…

this book was published in 2007. interesting story :)

April 26, 2009 at 12:31 PM

Vivienne Yuan said…

I got the first letter you send me for my birthday!!haha...

April 27, 2009 at 8:40 AM

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SHERA'S BORDER

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