Book Analysis: A Better Way to Live by Og Mandino

I. Summary

The inspirational author Og Mandino wrote the book “A Better Way to Live”. It is an account of the author’s own personal story and success. The volume consists of chapters containing the thoughts and ideas of Mandino regarding what he stated as a proper way to live.

The book is divided in two parts, Lessons My Past and Rules to Live By.  The first part is an orientation of sorts, it encompasses six chapters with the author stating what he have learned from his bleak past and how he turned his life around. The first chapter discusses the origin of the book. In this chapter, the author stated how he writes his works; according to him, he is unlike other writers who can sit in front of a typewriter for months just working along an untitled project. He emphasized the magnitude of a title to make his thoughts cohesive and rather substantial. Here, the setting was in Don June’s Scottsdale Barbershop. According to him the idea of having this project came from another customer in the shop who turned out to be an avid reader of Mandino’s work. On a brief conversation with the other customer while the author was having his hair trimmed came a suggestion that paved the way in writing this volume. The avid fan suggested Mandino to write a book of life.

The second chapter tackled the virtue of sacrifice and the need of others in the road to triumph. He took note on the life stories of Lilian Roth and the Dürer brothers. He used Roth’s story to emphasize the vitality of knowing one’s self. He took note that Roth turned alcoholic in the peak of her career and thus struggling to set her life straight. Her misery ended when she uttered three little yet powerful words, “I need help.” He expounded on this and stated that learning that one’s self is heading the wrong way shows that there enough courage and dignity to exploit a second chance in life. On the other hand, he related the story of the Dürer brothers to prove a point that success may require consequences for a person. The brothers that he stated were among 18 siblings who lived during the fifteenth century. The two had a dream of being great artists, however, they are aware that their parents are unable to support them since it is difficult enough to raise 18 children. So they decided that one should go to a university while the other will support him by working in the mines, after four years it would be the miner’s turn to study. After the specified period, the brother sent to the university became well-known in the country for his fine works of art. He intended to keep the pact he made with his brother. But the latter declined having him showed his worn out, and frequently hammered hands. In their despair the painter asked his brother to raise the hands that helped him achieve his dreams and started painting. The result is what is more popularly known as “The Praying Hands.” The author thus pointed out that if ever one reached his goal, one way or the other, someone helped that person in his journey.

Chapter three covers a picturesque narrative of the place where he had written this tome. He coined the place as his word factory. It is a graphic account of the four corners of his work area covered with numerous memorabilia, stacks of books, and bundles of letters, not to forget his trusty 1965 IBM typewriter that he has used in completing all thirteen of his works. This chapter is a somewhat tour of his 12’x 15’ office where numerous characters, which inspired millions, has emerged.

The succeeding chapters in the first part of the book relate the story of Mandino’s struggles in his early years. According to him he saw his mother die of cardiac arrest, that he was a bombardier pilot during the war, that he became an insurance salesman after he got married, and later abandoned by his daughter and wife after being an alcoholic. He was literally going nowhere when he traveled from state to state doing menial jobs for petty cash to keep the cheap wine flowing. He was 35. The fifth and sixth chapters discussed the way Mandino turned his life around and fulfilled his dream of being a great writer.

The second part of the book provides seventeen (17) rules that Mandino formulated based on the way he succeeded from being an alcoholic to a multimillionaire just by living his dream. It is seventeen rules that are intended to be followed one per day until one feels fulfilled. It provides an optimistic view of life and how one can learn to live by it.  

II.                  Lessons and Insights Developed

Mandino’s work is a very rousing presentation of the struggles and the fact that life is capable of wearing people down. Likewise, it is a celebration of life; it shows how a person from the gutter rises up to be the greatest inspirational author of all time. He presents life as a game, a chess game to be exact. It is bound by rules, and by this rules one can either give-in or give-up. The book presented a game with God wherein He gains the upper hand. One can only win by reacting properly to the strokes that He makes. The author depicted a struggle as a scenario wherein God makes a great move and leans back to his easy chair observing how we will respond.

            It is very refreshing to learn that the tribulations of life are possible to be admonished only if we choose the right path and make the right decisions. After reading Mandino’s work, one may come up with several observations and morals. An individual may sense that being egocentric and living a life of a hermit is not the way to go. God have given the gift of speech in order for people to interact with one another. A great philosopher once said that man is a social animal, thus interaction amongst other individual is part of his needs. It is therefore imperative to consider and appreciate the people in that surround an individual. Chances are these people are the ones who can help a person out of the cesspool he is in.

            Moreover, Mandino couldn’t stress enough how important it is to realize the worth of one’s self. He stated that life is too precious to waste. He did this through placing money value on items such as living in the United States and in limbs such as legs, eyes and ears. He accentuated the fact that other people are more miserable than one’s self, thus one should be grateful not only because of the worldly things he/she acquires but simply because of having to live instead of merely existing.

After reading the said book one cannot help but feel good about the world and how failures become mere lessons. A Chinese proverb once said that diamonds couldn’t be perfected and polished without friction. This is what the book tried to explain when it tackled the hardships in life. The struggles that a person undergo is just a matter of making someone stronger. The book simply stated that it matters not how many one falls, but how often he got up. Getting through a life’s struggle is comparable to winning a battle. Mandino pointed out that struggles seemingly improve the resilience of person. And that resilience is the key ingredient in leading a path to success.

            Another virtue that is openly learned in this book is the significance of doing the extra mile. Mandino pointed out that life’s battle would be half won when one learns the secret of putting out more than is expected in all that one undertakes. It is entertaining to recall how Mandino quoted Andrew Carnegie by saying that there are only two types of people who will never achieve very much in their lifetime. He stated one being the person who won’t do what he or she is told to do, and the other being the person who does not do more than he or she is told to do. By carefully analyzing the statement, the only things that are capable of just doing what they are expected to do are androids. An android is a machine that is geared towards doing one thing; to follow commands inputted in their system, nothing more nothing less. Machines do not have feelings, they do not have wits as complex as those of humans, thus they are the complete opposite of man. However, Mandino did not discount the fact that human also has the propensity to act similar to androids. Thus, he composed Rule II, do the extra mile.

            And lastly, the book pointed out that the primary means of acquiring the path of a better life is the choices one makes. Mandino stressed the fact that fact that there is no such thing as a situation wherein one is left with no choice. It is only the fact that people in that situation is unable to recognize that there are choices. Likewise, it is because of an alternative chosen that often leads people to a situation as compromising as above. In this light, one could conclude that it is not the abilities, talents nor strength that makes a person, it is the choices he/she makes. It is just the matter on deciding what choice he chooses.  

III.      Contribution of the Study to the Guidance and Counseling Profession

Mandino’s work is a compilation of his own life experiences, both pleasant and distasteful. This provides counselors a complete source with regards to dealing with their subjects. It provides a distinct vantage point for people who seem out of hope. It is basically a success story, a story of hope and redemption. It is out of Mandino’s gratitude towards life that provided the drive to share his dark past and his apparently bright future to others through this inspirational book.

The Guidance and Counseling profession can benefit much on this work. Although the book is marketed as a compilation of poignant experiences that the author encountered, it contains an aggregate of lessons and conditions that requires consideration of counselors. It is an analysis on how different reactions of people influence their outlook in life. But more importantly, it provides an optimistic way of viewing life by taking every single day as an opportunity to be the best.

             In this light, one can see that Mandino, in his numerous inspirational talks and encounters with people wore no mask. Although one cannot discount the fact that there are times when he displayed his human factor, this indicates his propensity to make mistakes, as well as in the case of Guidance Counselors. As Mandino pointed out, mistakes should only be regarded as a practical education.

Moreover, as stated earlier, the book provides insights on the how to deal with people in desperate situations. Specifically, counselors could use the story of Mandino as an example in order to make their clients feel important. Thus, the book could be used as a reading material to aid counselors in providing a program for unhappy, lost or disappointed clients. 

IV.   Self-analysis

             After reading the book, a whole new perspective has been provided to the reader. The lessons on Mandino’s life story have been heartwarming, reflective, and sometimes downright hilarious. One learns to take life less seriously after reading the book. One learns to laugh at oneself, bearing in mind that the person who knows how to do so shoulders enough self-confidence to deal with much harder life struggles. It is thus the contention of the book to impart to its readers the vitality of having an optimistic view in life.

The book provided a general view of the behavior of people in desperate situations. It shows certain indications whether a person is heading the wrong way or if he/she is making the right choices. Moreover, it is also imperative to point out that cynicism is the starting point towards the wrong path.

In addition, the book indicates several behavioral guidelines that would make other people react differently in given situations.  For example, the reader recognized more importantly, the value of a smile. A smile is a line in a person’s face that is capable of extending into a number of people and likely to open doors the one who wears it. The reader also recognizes the fact that in the myriad of people having infinite number of personalities, an encouraging attitude is the best tool to reach out. The book also provided an overview on how someone’s attitude towards life can be changed by just following a number of sensible suggestions. Thus, the reader after devouring Mandino’s work becomes reacquainted with the rules of the game that we simply call life.

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