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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: $5.95
You Save: $9.00 (60%)
New (58) Used (35) Collectible (4) from $2.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  74 reviews
Sales Rank: 2657
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 112
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7 x 5.1 x 0.5
ISBN: 1401323189
Dewey Decimal Number: 170.44
EAN: 9781401323189
ASIN: 1401323189
Publication Date: April 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product 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 69 more reviews...
 Straight From The Heart April 16, 2008
106 out of 114 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
46 out of 84 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.
 A bit disappointed May 19, 2008
39 out of 41 found this review helpful
I saw this book being discussed on the Oprah show and thought it sounded great. I ordered a book for both myself and my sister. We are both successful career women in our early 40's who are seriously questioning who we want to be in the second half of our lives. The book sounded perfect for us. I was quite disappointed. The bulk of the book is the actual speech that Maria wrote for a high school graduation class which includes a light-hearted, 25-page poem that definitlely seems targeted toward children. The Oprah interview was more substantive than the book itself!! I think this might be a good graduation gift for a high-schooler - but I don't think will hold the interest of someone older in life.
Good message but too short April 18, 2008
37 out of 44 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.
Touching, Heartfelt & Inspirational! October 1, 2008
29 out of 30 found this review helpful
This book truly touched me. It is from Maria's heart. From the outside looking in Maria Shriver has it all. She was born into a wealthy, well connected family, had a successful TV reporting career, is married and has children with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is now the governor of California.
When Maria's husband became governor of California she had to leave her job at NBC news. About this time her nephew asked her to speak at his high school graduation. Maria was feeling very lost at this time. This book takes us through Maria's journey of how she figured out what to say and she found who she was along the way.
I loved that this book was all about "Who do you want to be" not what do you want to do. Maria shares that neither fame nor money will make you happy. Happiness comes from within.
Another book I really enjoyed was Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment by Ariel & Shya Kane. It is a book of short stories about "Being". I highly recommend both of these books.
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