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| Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within. (ROUGHCUT) | 
 enlarge | Author: Maria Shriver
Publisher: Hyperion
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.50
You Save: $6.45 (43%)
New (50) Used (17) Collectible (4) from $7.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  46 reviews
Sales Rank: 909
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 112
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 5.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 1401323189
Dewey Decimal Number: 170.44
EAN: 9781401323189
ASIN: 1401323189
Publication Date: April 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new book.
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Book Description
"Maria Shriver is wise, funny and caring--and it all comes through in her winning guide to life, JUST WHO WILL YOU BE? We're lucky to have her show us the way."
-- Tom Brokaw "Maria teaches all of us in the graduate program of life to seek meaning through the joy of following your heart. Just the kind of advice a heart surgeon cherishes."
--Mehmet Oz, M.D. "Everything Maria Shriver does is a testament to how deeply she respects and cares about people; all people, all over the world. She really does. She is as charming and funny as she is brilliant and profoundly humane."
--Anne Lamott "Maria Shriver is real, vulnerable, humble, honest (just like her book) and not afraid to say so. A lovely book by a lovely person."
--Danielle Steel "This honest, straight-talking, profound little book is worth a lifetime of reflection. It calls readers of all ages to think again-and differently-about who they've been in the past and who they want to be now. This book is a life-stopper, a truly universal piece. It's a must for everyone-of any age."
--Sister Joan Chittister "Every graduate (of anything) ought to be given a copy of this book along with their diploma. There's wisdom, compassion and truth between these covers. For anyone -- at any age."
--Linda Ellerbee, Executive Producer, "Nick News" "I've learned that asking ourselves not just what we want to be, but who we want to be is important at every stage of our lives, not just when we're starting out in the world. That's because in a way, we're starting out fresh in the world every single day." Just Who Will You Be? is a candid, heartfelt, and inspirational book for seekers of all ages. Inspired by a speech she gave, Maria Shriver's message is that what you do in your life isn't what matters. It's who you are. It's an important lesson that will appeal to anyone of any age looking for a life of meaning. In her own life, Shriver always walked straight down her own distinctive path, achieving her childhood goal of becoming "award-winning network newswoman Maria Shriver". But when her husband was elected California's Governor and she suddenly had to leave her job at NBC News, Maria was thrown for a loop. Right about then, her nephew asked her to speak at his high school graduation. She resisted, wondering how she could possibly give advice to kids, when she was feeling so lost herself. But in the end she relented and decided to dig down and dig deep, and the result is this little jewel. Just Who Will You Be? reminds us that the answer to many of life's question lie within -- and that we're all works in progress. That means it's never too late to become the person you want to be. Now the question for you is this: Just who will you be?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 41 more reviews...
 Straight From The Heart April 16, 2008
103 out of 111 found this review helpful
When I saw Just Who Will You Be? Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within, I grabbed it and read it on the spot in Barnes and Noble. I still bought the book and a copy for my friend's daughter, who is graduating college in May and is terrified of the prospect of "being in the real world."
Maria Shriver spoke at the high school graduating class of her nephew and the students and parents asked her to write a book based on the speech so they could more clearly remember what she said.
I'm glad she listened.
She discusses how a recent study found that kids today want fame more than anything else. (I read the survey and they overwhelmingly want to be actors or sports figures.) She tells the class that: "fame isn't a goal worthy of your life." Shriver describes why fame shouldn't be a goal, that fame can't give you meaning and purpose.
Instead, Shriver advises to follow your heart, discover who you are, who your authentic me really is.
The poem she read to the class is in the book and is powerful and true. Here is one stanza I really enjoyed:
You can be girly and strong
Have careers and go far
And when you get married
Not lose who you are
The stanza for the boys is equally as good.
Shriver acknowledges that we keep changing, growing and evolving as we age and that this is a good thing. She tells the reader about her experiences with growing and changing and they come straight from her heart and were very inspiring to me.
Ultimately, who you will be is based on getting in touch with your feelings and discovering your authentic self.
Finally, I related to this book because I've been feeling stuck lately. I published my first book a year ago. Ask most authors and they will tell you it's like giving birth and the first year like raising a child. To add to the excitement, the book won awards!
But now, a it's year later and it's like the kid moved out of the house! I've had my moments (ask my husband,) and reading this book has finally inspired me to move on. I will always be an author, but I am also uniquely me and now its time for my next step.
Thank you for inspiring me, Maria!
By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet.
A lovely graduation present April 21, 2008
70 out of 73 found this review helpful
This little book will give an inspirational boost to almost any new high school, or middle school, graduate.
Though its advice might be too lightweight for college grads, and a little too sunny for kids from deprived backgrounds, the book is still a terrific gift for any reader who is open to it. In other words, Shriver makes no attempt to be Maya Angelou, but does have something to say. An example: "The only way you can come to feel worthy, and really good about yourself is to find your own voice, find your own path, follow your own heart and live your own life."
Another benefit: the recipient of this book might actually read it. Just 100 pages, it takes less than 30 minutes to get through, as each page has only five or six sentences and is set with wide margins and lots of white space. It's a very easy read.
The book is divided into three sections. A 20-page introduction is about Shriver herself, as the author recounts her dreams as a young girl. The next 40 pages reprint a speech Shriver recently gave (titled "Just Who Will You Be?") at a high school graduation ceremony. The last third of the book offers more reflective thoughts from Shriver, and includes a nifty list of Ten Things I Pledge to Myself -- including "I pledge to show up in life as myself, not as an imitation of anyone else" and "I pledge to use my voice to connect my dreams to my actions."
Shriver has used this concept before, reprinting another of her high school grad speeches in 2005's And One More Thing Before You Go....
Ragged pages add a timeless touch. Underneath the blue dust jacket is a plain hardback cover in the same blue color.
Want to make your gift more substantial? For middle schoolers I'd pair it up with Oh, the Places You'll Go! (Classic Seuss). For high schoolers I'd add The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou.
 Good message but too short April 18, 2008
35 out of 43 found this review helpful
At just over 100 pages, I literally finished reading this book while standing in line at the check out. Granted, I started reading in the aisles before heading to check out - still very short. If I hadn't thought of sharing it with my sister, I probably would have put it back and only bought the other books in hand.
Essentially, this is an uplifting book about following your heart and discovering who you are. There's a positive message and some good points. In the end, I liked it, but felt there could have been much more.
 Just who will you be April 23, 2008
14 out of 18 found this review helpful
I am very disappointed in the book. It is a small book with large type and widely spaced. In short the book was very repetitive, stating the obvious, and could have been written on 3 pages.
A Very Helpful Book April 27, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
Honestly, I did not expect Ms. Shriver's book to be more than a light read. I did not consider changing my mind until I passed page ten. My first impressions were about the genuine openness of Ms. Shriver's commentary about herself and the wonderful humor that pops-up unexpectedly. As I read further, I found her comments and descriptions related to her topic to be quite insightful. I believe most people ask similar questions about who they really are; what they want to do with their lives; why they are here on earth; and so many more deeply personal queries. Ms. Shriver's question as to who she really was, and not what she does in this world, will probably resonate with many. I found the speech Ms. Shriver gave to her nephew's high school graduation class to be excellent. I rather suspect no one in that audience was bored or unmoved by her speech--unusual for graduation speakers! I do recommend this little book of ninety-five pages to everyone (men included). However, the primary readership may be limited to women and grandparents. I hope not. This is an excellent book to be shared with daughters, sons, grandchildren, and others outside the family circle. The book's brevity may work to its advantage when given as a gift to young adults with the attention span of a thirty-second commercial. Personally I would not wait until high school graduation to give a copy of this book to a young adult--I think the book should be given at the start of high school, or sooner if you have a smart young adult in your family. Life is hard enough, and this thoughtful little book can provide anyone a logical starting point from which to ponder those profound personal questions we all have. As Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Thank you, Ms. Shriver, for helping to make those personal journeys just a little easier to navigate.
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