by Eric J. Aronson
I love the title of this book. I had heard the poem called "The
Dash", which is about a man giving a eulogy, and he speaks of the dash as
the time between the date of birth and the date death on a tombstone.

In fact, I
distinctly heard it for the first time at a funeral for a fireman killed in the
World Trade Center, and the lines of the poem resounded with me. The poem wants
you to pause and consequently think about how you spend your life, and the book,
in its own way, aims to do the same. What I found intriguing about the book,
beside the title, is the author’s background. Eric Aronson comes from what many
would describe as a dysfunctional household and a troubled youth. He suffered
sexual abuse at a young age and unfortunately lost his mother at the age of 13.
As a teenager he found it difficult to fit in and he was finally convicted of a
felony and sent to prison. As he describes it "life gave him the ultimate
timeout" – a time to evaluate his life priorities. This book is a manual
for what he has learned and with so much time on his hands, he seems to have
learned his lessons well. Eric Aronson has literally turned his life around and
has become a life coach and a motivational speaker.

Though his philosophies may seem simple, they ring with a truth – the truth of
someone who has been there and back. He states that "most of us drift down
the beach a little ways, being moved by the undercurrent of life, too busy to
notice we have gone off course from our original goals, beliefs and
desires." We live in a very busy world, inundated by work, cell phones,
deadlines and pressures and for the most part don’t take the time to think about
our lives.

While reading his principles (D- determination, A – attitude, S- success, H –
happiness) the reader cannot help but continually think, "If he can
overcome his personal obstacles, so can I." So in a way the book succeeds
in being empowering. The book is a compilation of quotes stories and insights,
hopefully some of which will speak to you. I especially like the quote from
Thomas Edison "If we all did the things we are capable of, we would
literally astound ourselves."

This book aims to put a dash in your step, a dash in your thoughts, and a dash
in your heart. If you enjoy self-help books, which I do, then you’ll enjoy this
one.