The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man
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- Create Date：2023-04-07 17:22:24
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：David von Drehle
- ISBN：1476773920
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
MandM
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Enjoyable easy read with wisdom from Charlie who has lived to see so much in the world （and done so much as well。）
Shirley Freeman
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Charlie White's life spanned the 20th century and beyond。 Journalist David von Drehle met Charlie， age 102， when they became neighbors in Kansas City in 2007。 Charlie was outside washing his girlfriend's car when they met。 Their friendship lasted until Charlie's death seven years later。 Charlie's story， as told by von Drehle， is one of grit and resilience， luck and good genes， and openness to whatever life presents。 Charlie's perspectives help put our own times in perspective。 He grew up poor， e Charlie White's life spanned the 20th century and beyond。 Journalist David von Drehle met Charlie， age 102， when they became neighbors in Kansas City in 2007。 Charlie was outside washing his girlfriend's car when they met。 Their friendship lasted until Charlie's death seven years later。 Charlie's story， as told by von Drehle， is one of grit and resilience， luck and good genes， and openness to whatever life presents。 Charlie's perspectives help put our own times in perspective。 He grew up poor， especially after the family suffered a tragedy， but resourceful and unafraid to take risks。 The story of his life takes the reader on a romp through the 20th century in America。 When Charlie was born， cars were around， but barely and when he went to medical school， penicillin and anesthesia didn't exist。 Doctoring mostly involved being with a patient while nature took its course - either toward health or death。 By the time he died， smart phones were changing the world。 The book got me thinking about the costs/benefits of Charlie's way of dealing with trauma and hard things （stoic， process them and move on） and the fairly modern way of letting trauma/bad things define us for the rest of our lives。 Interesting to think about。 Good read。 。。。more
Rebecca Ditchek
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I received this book for free from the publishers and NetGalley for reviewing purposes。 I was truly wowed by "The Book of Charlie。" As both a history and book lover， "The Book of Charlie" has everything。 Von Drehle's writing was vivid and made me feel like Charlie was my neighbor too。 I really enjoyed the little side moments that discussed the history and helped to contextualize Charlie's story。 It really gives the "Forest Gump" feels。 "The Book of Charlie" has mass appeal because it has so much I received this book for free from the publishers and NetGalley for reviewing purposes。 I was truly wowed by "The Book of Charlie。" As both a history and book lover， "The Book of Charlie" has everything。 Von Drehle's writing was vivid and made me feel like Charlie was my neighbor too。 I really enjoyed the little side moments that discussed the history and helped to contextualize Charlie's story。 It really gives the "Forest Gump" feels。 "The Book of Charlie" has mass appeal because it has so much heart。 Von Drehle exquisitely captured how an "ordinary" like， is never really ordinary。 。。。more
Lorraine Petkus
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I was pleasantly surprised to find this book wasn’t only about 100 plus years of Charlie but included 100 plus years of history seamlessly combined。 With both we journey through the evolution of roads， autos， trains and medicine to name a few。 We go on road trips， stop at grocery stores for gas， hitch rides on freight trains， listen to music—Nighthawk Blues with Coon Sanders Nighthawks （YouTube）。 We experience the evolution of change， IID iterative and incremental development， seeing that change I was pleasantly surprised to find this book wasn’t only about 100 plus years of Charlie but included 100 plus years of history seamlessly combined。 With both we journey through the evolution of roads， autos， trains and medicine to name a few。 We go on road trips， stop at grocery stores for gas， hitch rides on freight trains， listen to music—Nighthawk Blues with Coon Sanders Nighthawks （YouTube）。 We experience the evolution of change， IID iterative and incremental development， seeing that change doesn’t happen all at once but slowly over time。 This book is wonderful on many levels， a biography of a man who enjoyed life to the fullest， a history of the evolution of change， plus the history of a fascinating city， Kansas City， Kansas。 Net Galley supplied the book， I supply the review。 。。。more
Moonkiszt
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Reading about brave people who have come through the fires of life is always inspiring！ Charlie is one of these。 He's done amazing things， and rarely mentioned them， or put them in the way of others to either help or hinder their paths。 He simply made sure he was present， helpful and ready to take action when it was needed。It was one of those providential coincidences that a world-known journalist itchy to write another book would move into the house across the street from this self-possessed el Reading about brave people who have come through the fires of life is always inspiring！ Charlie is one of these。 He's done amazing things， and rarely mentioned them， or put them in the way of others to either help or hinder their paths。 He simply made sure he was present， helpful and ready to take action when it was needed。It was one of those providential coincidences that a world-known journalist itchy to write another book would move into the house across the street from this self-possessed elderly man。 Curiosity was roused， questions were asked and mostly answered。 Because of friendship engaged and material mined， this book has resulted in a read that moves from Teddy Roosevelt to Barack Obama in the White House; from planes in the air not longer than 39 minutes to "planes" in outer space over years。 Starting from a time before our ears were filled with sound waves delivered by mechanical means to an era in which spoken words are turned into mobile phone texts millions of times a day without fingers， the measure of Charlie's life is simply remarkable: 109 years。Not just a matter of time， Charlie's experiences and his responses to those experiences make this book even more enjoyable。A read well worth your time - attending to the 109 years lived by Charlie will lighten your load， and inspire you on your own journey。A Sincere Thank You to David Von Drehle， Simon & Schuster and NetGalley。 #TheBookofCharlie #NetGalley Pub Date: 23 May 2023 。。。more
kbreads
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"The Book of Charlie is a gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval。 The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation， a questing nation， an inventive nation—a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life。"Hmm this wasn’t quite the book I was expecting， and maybe that’s on me。 I was hoping to hear about 100 years of a man’s life who impacted those aroun "The Book of Charlie is a gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval。 The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation， a questing nation， an inventive nation—a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life。"Hmm this wasn’t quite the book I was expecting， and maybe that’s on me。 I was hoping to hear about 100 years of a man’s life who impacted those around him but was disappointed to read page after page of World History。 Don’t get me wrong， that has it’s time in place， but is not really my jam。 I thoroughly enjoyed Charlie’s relationship with Mildred which I felt shed light on the times， especially in relationship to MH and addiction。 I loved Charlie’s love for animals and his resilient approach to life。 There are some nuggets of wisdom but they aren’t much different than what you’d find on a Pinterest board。 Definitely pick it up if you're into nonfiction， US History， and biographies。 Thank you to NetGalley， Simon and Schuster， and the author， David von Drehle for providing me with this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Dez the Bookworm
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An intriguing look into the life of a centenarian。Told from the perspective of the Author （who was the neighbor）， we get a glimpse into the life of a man whose lived through events that made history around the world。 We also get to learn about his adventures， his treasures， his tragedies and his heartache。 Filled with factual information about historical events along the way， I’d have to say about half the book is comprised of Charlie’s story， but interspersed between all the nuggets of events a An intriguing look into the life of a centenarian。Told from the perspective of the Author （who was the neighbor）， we get a glimpse into the life of a man whose lived through events that made history around the world。 We also get to learn about his adventures， his treasures， his tragedies and his heartache。 Filled with factual information about historical events along the way， I’d have to say about half the book is comprised of Charlie’s story， but interspersed between all the nuggets of events and people in Charlie’s time on earth。 It is an amazing story that fosters resiliency， determination and bravery。 It shows us that we are all human and what we live through makes us who we are。 It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking at times。 A relatively short read， I’m glad I read it。 It was interesting to hear （albeit second hand） what a person thinks and feels that has lived so long。 I only hope I get the same opportunity Charlie did。 Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this GR Giveaway！！ 。。。more
Rose
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A Life Well Lived。 David von Drehle met Charlie when he moved to Kansas City and saw Charlie washing his girlfriend's car at age 102。 David started visiting Charlie and listening to his stories。 At his age Charlie lived history from the Model T， the Spanish Flu epidemic。 World Wars， and became a successful doctor before penicillin。 Charlie's life was not perfect and there were things that went wrong。 He chose to focus on the positives and kept moving forward。 So many of us get stuck when life de A Life Well Lived。 David von Drehle met Charlie when he moved to Kansas City and saw Charlie washing his girlfriend's car at age 102。 David started visiting Charlie and listening to his stories。 At his age Charlie lived history from the Model T， the Spanish Flu epidemic。 World Wars， and became a successful doctor before penicillin。 Charlie's life was not perfect and there were things that went wrong。 He chose to focus on the positives and kept moving forward。 So many of us get stuck when life deals us a blow。 We can all learn lessons from Charlie on how to live a full life。This is a great little book and I would recommend it。Thanks to #netgalley， #DavidVonDrehle and #Simon&Schuster for a copy of this book。#TheBookofCharlie 。。。more
Melissa B
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I received the through GoodReads First Reads。 Oh， to live that long with a sharp mind and a very positive attitude toward life。 I cannot begin to imagine the plethora of changes， inventions and medicine he experienced throughout his 109 years。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book。
Ellen
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I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Book of Charlie" and all opinions expressed are my own。 Overall a good book。 This is not just about Charlie's life but also includes American history， events from the span of Charlie's lifetime。 Interesting read about history and how Charlie had to adapt to all the changes during his 109 years。 I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Book of Charlie" and all opinions expressed are my own。 Overall a good book。 This is not just about Charlie's life but also includes American history， events from the span of Charlie's lifetime。 Interesting read about history and how Charlie had to adapt to all the changes during his 109 years。 。。。more
Elaine
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Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Book of Charlie。This is the tale of Charlie; son， brother， doctor， husband， father， veteran， neighbor， teacher， amongst his many talents。The author didn't intend to write a book about Charlie， his neighbor。 His original idea was to write a book for his children （now grown） when they discovered their father wrote for a living。But， instead of a story about pirates and adventure， swashbuckling maidens and cackling minions， the author finds an unlikely ta Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Book of Charlie。This is the tale of Charlie; son， brother， doctor， husband， father， veteran， neighbor， teacher， amongst his many talents。The author didn't intend to write a book about Charlie， his neighbor。 His original idea was to write a book for his children （now grown） when they discovered their father wrote for a living。But， instead of a story about pirates and adventure， swashbuckling maidens and cackling minions， the author finds an unlikely tale and friendship in a centenarian when the author and his family relocated to Kansas City。Charlie is that rare breed， not just surpassing the typical lifespan of a man， but his character， his resilience and the adventures and troubles he's endured may have contributed to his longevity。Through the course of their seven year friendship， the author recounts Charlie's life， from his childhood， surviving the sudden death of his father， a renowned pastor， to the freedom and empowerment his mother encouraged in him toward pursuing his life's dreams and the high hopes he had for his future。The author also includes necessary historical context to explain the world in which Charlie grew up in; where children roamed free， where technology was at its most basic， where mob gangs ruled and radios and flight was the most technological innovations at the time; to war and the discovery of penicillin and how doctors at that time are not the same doctors we have now。Is Charlie's longevity due to luck？ Yes， partly。 But his positive and optimistic outlook on life and career also contributes to his long life; the right combination of genetics， his upbringing， his unique character and personality contributed to the adventures， loss， and world experiences he would endure， survive， and learn from。Readers young and old can learn from Charlie and the author's fruitful friendship with this unique man; to learn and evolve with the times， to let things go， to adapt and be flexible with the changing times and to go with the flow， not against it。 。。。more
Martha Armbruster
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This book was different than I expected。。。but really good。 It drew me in quickly & was an easy read， hard to put down。 I enjoyed hearing about Charlie's fascinating life - from serving in the War， to flying around the world on an adventure， just because he could; serving as a highly sought out anesthesiologist & working with & for political world leaders。The author did a good job of explaining some different facts about what was going on in different time periods - for example， how the roads wer This book was different than I expected。。。but really good。 It drew me in quickly & was an easy read， hard to put down。 I enjoyed hearing about Charlie's fascinating life - from serving in the War， to flying around the world on an adventure， just because he could; serving as a highly sought out anesthesiologist & working with & for political world leaders。The author did a good job of explaining some different facts about what was going on in different time periods - for example， how the roads were when Charlie & 2 friends drove across the US。。。。just to come back home （which is another funny story of hitchhiking on the Railway to get home。。。）（I was able to preview this book in exchange for my honest review。 All opinions are my own。 Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster。 This book is set to be published 5/22/23） 。。。more
Maureen
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I highly enjoyed and appreciated all of the knowledge Von Drehle shared in these 155 pages。 It’s obvious he is a prodigious writer of history。 I just received “Triangle: The Fire That Changed America，” also by von Drehle， from my library which is about the fire in a shirtwaist factory in downtown Manhattan， Greenwich Village， in 1911。 146 workers， mostly women， perished in this factory fire， the worst workplace fire prior to 9/11。 In “The Book of Charlie，” he fills in so much incredible knowledg I highly enjoyed and appreciated all of the knowledge Von Drehle shared in these 155 pages。 It’s obvious he is a prodigious writer of history。 I just received “Triangle: The Fire That Changed America，” also by von Drehle， from my library which is about the fire in a shirtwaist factory in downtown Manhattan， Greenwich Village， in 1911。 146 workers， mostly women， perished in this factory fire， the worst workplace fire prior to 9/11。 In “The Book of Charlie，” he fills in so much incredible knowledge which is just hinted at by Charlie， his 109-year-old neighbor in Kansas City， Missouri， who shares with him his life story。 In one part， Charlie is talking about his decision to join the army after the attack on Pearl Harbor。 He is one of a few doctors in Kansas City and naturally wonders if he will have a practice to return to after the war， if he makes it out alive。 He also wonders if he will have his wife， Mildred waiting for him after the war。 But he talks about how the war actually propelled the country ahead in technology， engineering， manufacturing， logistics， transportation， communication， and definitely medicine。 Von Drehle explains that the discovery of penicillin occurred accidentally in 1928 by Englishman Alexander Fleming。 He was working on an experiment to study bacteria and was growing it in Petrie dishes。 He was annoyed one day to see a mold was growing in one of the dishes。 Upon a second glance， where the mold was growing， there was no bacteria。 He put two and two together and voilà， the discovery of penicillin。 But this was in 1928。 It wasn’t until the beginning of WWII when penicillin was mass produced to try to help all of the soldiers in the army with infections from staph to pneumonia， to blood poisoning。 Charlie has wonderful tales to tell from his very early years when he and two friends drive a Model T from Kansas City all the way to Los Angeles in two weeks。 There are barely any roads， no maps， obviously no GPS。 So most of the ride was planned on the go with directions every now and then like， drive 10 miles on this dirt road until you hit the big oak tree。 Then they see someone and are told about 7 miles on this dirt road and then you reach 5 miles of a paved road you turn right onto。 It was a very adventurous and interesting tale， especially being used to paved roads and at least maps， and yet they set off with barely anything to guide them all the way west except their young determination。 The return home really tested Charlie and sealed his resilience for life。 He and one friend made it back in about 4 weeks by hopping railroad cars and picking up odd jobs to get a little money and a place to lay their head and fill their bellies。 The other area of medicine which advanced rapidly in 1942 for doctors at war based hospitals was the field of anesthesiology。 Charlie carried in his black doctor bag ether and a can to administer it if he needed it on a house call to give stitches， take out tonsils， deliver a baby， or reset some bones， basically all of the things possible for any doctor to do in the 1930’s。 But during the war， Charles Lundy of the Mayo Clinic， father of IV anesthesiology， taught Charlie， who was the Chief Doctor at his base， the new ways of anesthesiology。 The doctors figured out how to use sodium thiopental through an IV to put people under for surgery。 They also learned how to use endothracheal tubes to open airways， support breathing， and to administer the sodium thiopental。 All of this paved the way for Charlie to be the first doctor of anesthesiology in Kansas City， and one of the first few in the country in 1946 upon his return from the army。 This is the point the author says it most clearly shows Charlie’s resilience and opportunities were self made because even though he entered the army with much trepidation， he remained both realistic and optimistic and again made things happen so he could return from the army and be the head of anesthesiology at St。 Joseph’s Hospital in Kansas City。 The book of Charlie continues with Charlie still being open to learning and ready for all opportunities as they present themselves。 He realized his formal education at the University of Missouri and then his medical school training at Northwestern were just the beginning of a lifetime of learning。 This is truly the heart of Charlie’s stories and this book。 Because he realized this， he had many more opportunities throughout his life。 “Work hard。 Spread joy。 Take a chance。 Enjoy wonder。”These basic nuggets of a long life well lived were at the top of Dr。 Charlie White’s stories。 He lived up until his 109th birthday and had hundreds of stories showing he lived every single moment of those 109 years。 I really enjoyed this book immensely and it touched me deeply。 It helped me to realize all I have been blessed with and how I move on and am ready with my eyes wide open to witness the next miracle。 Thank you to NetGalley， Simon and Schuster， and the author， David von Drehle for providing me with this advanced reader’s copy of this wonderful tale。 I highly recommend this book and give it five stars。 。。。more
Kirsten | K’s Book Nook
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Thank you Simon & Schuster for a copy of THE BOOK OF CHARLIE to read via both my independent bookstore， The Snail on the Wall， and NetGalley！ It was so unique， and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to experience his stories。Charlie White lived a full life。 From the invention of the radio， to the implementation of a smart phone， and everything in between， Charlie saw it all。 David Von Drehle sets out to tell the story of Charlie's resilience and adventure。 After all， living to 109 years ought to Thank you Simon & Schuster for a copy of THE BOOK OF CHARLIE to read via both my independent bookstore， The Snail on the Wall， and NetGalley！ It was so unique， and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to experience his stories。Charlie White lived a full life。 From the invention of the radio， to the implementation of a smart phone， and everything in between， Charlie saw it all。 David Von Drehle sets out to tell the story of Charlie's resilience and adventure。 After all， living to 109 years ought to give you something。Have you ever met someone and thought， "wow， they are absolutely fascinating and have done so many things！" Charlie White was one of those people。 He was one to always say yes and pursue the adventure， figuring he'd somehow swing it。 That's how he ended up in LA。 Other times this attitude led him to learn to play saxophone， or over Victoria Falls， and more。 He was an innovative doctor and many of the things we would consider "normal" today were pioneered by Charlie and his peers。 There were so many instances I was flabbergasted at his tenacity。 I wish I had known him。 Charlie White didn't believe you could be too old for anything， and I hope some of his spirit can live on in me。 I can picture him saying， "Life is an adventure; live it！" 。。。more
AnnieM
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An interesting book about 'Charlie" who lived to be over 100 years old and was the author's neighbor。 I like how the story unfolds about Charlie's remarkable life and especially the context of what was happening historically at the time。 There was one point that made me cringe about a childhood experience that was kind of glossed over （I don't want to give away spoilers） but otherwise this book was about an interesting man who had a very interesting life。 Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schus An interesting book about 'Charlie" who lived to be over 100 years old and was the author's neighbor。 I like how the story unfolds about Charlie's remarkable life and especially the context of what was happening historically at the time。 There was one point that made me cringe about a childhood experience that was kind of glossed over （I don't want to give away spoilers） but otherwise this book was about an interesting man who had a very interesting life。 Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Roxanne
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David’s study of Charlie White’s life focuses on how a man makes it to such an age with all his faculties and physical capacities still in place。 In Charlie’s case， many of the anecdotes over his life span focus on his lens of seeing life’s challenges through a lens of comedy， joy and/or daring。Not only does the reader receive a beautifully told life story， Von Drehle， being a true reporter， gives one interesting facts about each time period of Charlie’s life， from the miraculous introduction of David’s study of Charlie White’s life focuses on how a man makes it to such an age with all his faculties and physical capacities still in place。 In Charlie’s case， many of the anecdotes over his life span focus on his lens of seeing life’s challenges through a lens of comedy， joy and/or daring。Not only does the reader receive a beautifully told life story， Von Drehle， being a true reporter， gives one interesting facts about each time period of Charlie’s life， from the miraculous introduction of Ford’s Model T to radio to modern medicine。 。。。more
Madeline
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This is an incredible and unbelievable story。 Shocking that it’s one man’s life。
Jen Smuda
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What can you learn from someone who has lived for more than a century？ Turns out， everything。 This is quasi autobiographical account of the authors elderly neighbor Charlie whom he found as a fascinating book subject when he started learning more about his life。 Charlie lost his father at a young age and was forced to grow up quickly in time before everyone owned an automobile and wars were being waged regularly。 He was a very smart boy who moved through school quickly and graduated early and be What can you learn from someone who has lived for more than a century？ Turns out， everything。 This is quasi autobiographical account of the authors elderly neighbor Charlie whom he found as a fascinating book subject when he started learning more about his life。 Charlie lost his father at a young age and was forced to grow up quickly in time before everyone owned an automobile and wars were being waged regularly。 He was a very smart boy who moved through school quickly and graduated early and became a doctor whose main source of income was making house calls to support himself and his family。 Charlie has travelled cross country by sneaking on to freight trains， has provided medical care to questionable mob characters， and had a few loves along the way， although not all his relationships ended in a favorable manner。 Through recounting the stories of his life， the author shows how optimism and pure grit can get someone through almost anything， and to cherish the truly special things in life because you never know when they will disappear。 I found this book extremely touching and hopeful in a world that increasingly seems anything but and it was lovely surprise to watch Charlie's life unfold through the retelling of this stories。 。。。more
Jackie Sunday
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It takes a “prize-winning” author to recognize an exemplary story。 This book follows the life of his 102-year-old new neighbor， Charlie。 He had just moved with his wife and four children in 2007 to escape the brutal traffic jams in DC for a more calm， friendly environment。 While unpacking boxes， he spotted an older gentleman washing a Chrysler PT Cruiser。 What a sight this must have been in Kansas City as it’s rare to see anyone doing this in the District。 David Von Drehle was now able to work f It takes a “prize-winning” author to recognize an exemplary story。 This book follows the life of his 102-year-old new neighbor， Charlie。 He had just moved with his wife and four children in 2007 to escape the brutal traffic jams in DC for a more calm， friendly environment。 While unpacking boxes， he spotted an older gentleman washing a Chrysler PT Cruiser。 What a sight this must have been in Kansas City as it’s rare to see anyone doing this in the District。 David Von Drehle was now able to work from this midwestern area with decent internet service。 I could just picture a journalist with his pad and paper taking good notes for a recording of his neighbor’s past。 People at the end of their lives tend to look back upon their memories like a review of good things and bad just before the send-off into the afterlife and the author was taking it all in。Dr。 Charlie White had a career as a general practitioner and anesthesiologist。 His life profile included huge changes over 100 years with technology and medicine which influenced our society。 There was the discovery of antibiotics and pain killing techniques benefitting all of us。 The vast amount of information was like a condensed 22-volume set of encyclopedias documented into a rather short book。 It’s filled with gems of knowledge from years of living through good times and challenges during WWII。 In the end， Charlie left behind great wisdom with his work and relationships for others to follow。 In the beginning， David Von Drehle said he wanted his four children to have this keepsake with words of inspiration when they may need it。 His neighbor， Charlie， will be remembered and many people will save this book as a reminder of how our country has evolved and the good that continues。My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 23， 2023。 。。。more
Michelle
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Great cover。 Enjoyable book。 From the very first chapter I was endeared。。。 "I decided to write a book for my children that would unlock the secrets of life inside the storm。 And once I understood this was my task as their father， I would have gone to the ends of the Earth to find such a tale。 But that proved unnecessary， because one blazing August morning I looked up from my driveway and saw my story standing there， just across the street。"The author looks on as his elderly neighbor washes his g Great cover。 Enjoyable book。 From the very first chapter I was endeared。。。 "I decided to write a book for my children that would unlock the secrets of life inside the storm。 And once I understood this was my task as their father， I would have gone to the ends of the Earth to find such a tale。 But that proved unnecessary， because one blazing August morning I looked up from my driveway and saw my story standing there， just across the street。"The author looks on as his elderly neighbor washes his girlfriend's "grape soda pop" PT Cruiser。 What ensues is a charming walk through the life （aided by his golf club cane） of a man who lived through the last century。 This book could be enjoyed by just about anyone in my opinion。 It gives us a drive through course across defining pieces of American history from a Kansas City view。 With chunks of wisdom and humanity along the way。Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title！ 。。。more
Ram Khatri
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I love the cover of this book。 A clean cover with a man who has already crossed his middle-age。 He walks facing his back towards the readers with the help of a cane。 This shows his indifference towards others。 Metaphorically， this also tells us that a man can be destroyed but not defeated。 A man may stop running， but continues his move。 His pursuit of happiness is the milestone that keeps him moving ahead and saves him from being frustrated from the realization of meaninglessness of life and the I love the cover of this book。 A clean cover with a man who has already crossed his middle-age。 He walks facing his back towards the readers with the help of a cane。 This shows his indifference towards others。 Metaphorically， this also tells us that a man can be destroyed but not defeated。 A man may stop running， but continues his move。 His pursuit of happiness is the milestone that keeps him moving ahead and saves him from being frustrated from the realization of meaninglessness of life and the world。 。。。more
Lori
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I received a copy of "the Book of Charlie" from NetGalley。 David Von Drehle。 writes of his neighbor， Charlie White。 When he moved into his neighborhood Charlie White was one of his neighbors。 He found out that Charlie was 102 years old。 The author wanted to know more about this man who was 102 when they met and 109 when he died。 For the seven years up to Mr。 White's death he wanted to know more about Charlie White's life。 He soon found out that Charlie White had quite a life in his 109 years。 He I received a copy of "the Book of Charlie" from NetGalley。 David Von Drehle。 writes of his neighbor， Charlie White。 When he moved into his neighborhood Charlie White was one of his neighbors。 He found out that Charlie was 102 years old。 The author wanted to know more about this man who was 102 when they met and 109 when he died。 For the seven years up to Mr。 White's death he wanted to know more about Charlie White's life。 He soon found out that Charlie White had quite a life in his 109 years。 He lost his father to a freak accident when Charlie was only eight years old。 Charlie was very smart and skipped two grades。 When he graduated from high school he travelled through the USA with a friend。 At first in a model T and on his way home hopping trains。 In his life he became a physician practicing way into to his older years。 He was in the armed forces during WWII。 to name a few things in his life。 I do not want to give too many spoilers of his life。 But was amazed at the many accomplishments he did over his long life。 I found this to be a very interesting read。 。。。more
Paul
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Very well written。 This is good writing and I enjoyed watching the MC during his long life。 Many will find this inspirational。 Recommended。I really appreciate the free ARC for review！！
Bethany
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My main complaint about this book is that I wanted more of it。 At the end I felt as thought I had only begun to learn about Charlie， that I had received a long-form essay when I wanted an encyclopedia。 This is， however， in and of itself a tribute to both the author and his subject。 It is interesting and inspirational without being trite。 I recommend it！*I received an electronic ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。*
Sheila
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I received a free copy of， The Book of Charlie， David Von Drehle， from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 Charlie is from a totally different generation。 Charlie did not have an easy life， but he made the most of his life。 An enjoyable read， a nice change of pace from the other books out their， this is inspirational。
Annette Geiss
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The most delightful， insightful and wonderfully colorful read！！ The Book of Charlie is not only an inspiring book but the writing of it must have been a labor of love。 An amazing human being， Dr。 Charlie White， who lived to the age of 109， a century of living。 And what a journey Charlie had in his 109 years！ And what he lived through， historically and personally。 I can’t recommend this book enough！ Kudos to David Von Drehle， for sharing such a heartfelt and extraordinary man’s journey， spanning The most delightful， insightful and wonderfully colorful read！！ The Book of Charlie is not only an inspiring book but the writing of it must have been a labor of love。 An amazing human being， Dr。 Charlie White， who lived to the age of 109， a century of living。 And what a journey Charlie had in his 109 years！ And what he lived through， historically and personally。 I can’t recommend this book enough！ Kudos to David Von Drehle， for sharing such a heartfelt and extraordinary man’s journey， spanning 100 years。 To paraphrase something poignant I read in the book that resounded with me……。。sorrow requires no pursuit。 It has found you and will find you again。 So when pain is hunting elsewhere， enjoy the gifts of each day。 Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for sending this book for review consideration。 All opinions are my own。 #Netgalley， #TheBookOfCharlie， #simon&schuster， 。。。more
Jillian Smith
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The Book of Charlie is a lesson in American history alongside the anecdotes of someone who lived it。 David Von Drehle writes a phenomenal piece， combining his friend Charlie’s life - an ordinary man who lived an extraordinarily long time - with interesting pieces of history to outline just how far back 109 years goes。 This resulted in a truly original work that is both biographical and inspirational。 Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my hone The Book of Charlie is a lesson in American history alongside the anecdotes of someone who lived it。 David Von Drehle writes a phenomenal piece， combining his friend Charlie’s life - an ordinary man who lived an extraordinarily long time - with interesting pieces of history to outline just how far back 109 years goes。 This resulted in a truly original work that is both biographical and inspirational。 Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
tpg0
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As an AI language model， I cannot provide a personal opinion on books。 However， I can provide you with some information about the book 'The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man。' 'The Book of Charlie' is a memoir by Charlie Richardson， who passed away after a remarkable 109-year-long life。 The book is written by Joshua Grisetti， who is the grandson of Charlie Richardson。 The book is a collection of stories， memories， and wisdom that Charlie shared with his family and friends throughout his lifetime。 From growing up on a small farm in Kentucky to working as a schoolteacher to serving in World War II， Charlie's experiences are chronicled in the book。 The book's theme is about living a fulfilling life， with Charlie's wisdom and insights on how to age gracefully and live life to the fullest。 The book also includes images and photos of Charlie's life that provide a snapshot of the remarkable times that he lived through。 The book is a heartfelt tribute to a life well-lived and an inspiration for readers to live their lives with purpose and to cherish their loved ones。
tpg1
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As an AI language model， I cannot have personal opinions， but I can provide a summary about the book 'The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man' written by Steve Lowenthal。 The Book of Charlie is a collection of wisdom and insights from Charlie Tyrrell， who lived for 109 years。 Author Steve Lowenthal spent several years interviewing Charlie about his remarkable life， and the result is a collection of stories， anecdotes and advice on living a fulfilling life。 Charlie was born in 1905 and grew up in a simpler time， but he saw the world change beyond recognition during his long life。 He lived through two World Wars， the Great Depression， and witnessed the advancements in technology that we take for granted today。 Despite all this change， Charlie remained optimistic and had a zest for life that was infectious。 The book covers a wide range of topics， including family， love， work， health， and spirituality。 Charlie had a gift for distilling complex ideas into simple， relatable phrases， and the book is full of memorable quotes that will stay with readers long after they finish reading。 Overall， The Book of Charlie is an inspiring and heartwarming read that encourages readers of all ages to live their best lives。
tpg2
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