Rating: 
Summary: Two Words come into my mind about this book....
Review: Inspirational and deep. I was not sure what this book was about, but I read it and I could not stay away. I look at it in the same light as an insprirational "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". Andy ties each principle with a character that you can readily identify with. He masterfully ties the character and the principle together. I plan to give this book to many of my friends.
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Summary: Enlightening and helpful
Review: Interesting blend of fiction and self help! I came to the book looking for answers for my own life, and found several! The story helped make it all clear, and I was able to really learn! Another book that has helped in my search is "With Joseph in the University of Adversity: the Mizraim Principles". It is based on the story of Joseph, but as with the Traveler's Gift, decisions determine personal success. Thanks so much for an entertaining and enlightening book!
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Summary: STOP shouting in my ear!
Review: It's a boring little fable with a stale, over-used theme. There have been thousands of other books just like it and there's no defining quality that makes Traveler's Gift stand out among others of its ilk. David Fonder is standing at the edge of the cliff, ready to snap. He's ditched from his job, his daughter's sick, no money, he's mad at God... (Hmm... Bruce Almighty...) He's (wow) hit by a truck. God sends him on a journey to meet several historical figures. They each have a piece of wisdom to hand to him. The trouble is, with better writing even this over-used method of 'revealing wisdom' could have worked better, but the writing is just about standard. Nothing to really complain about, but nothing that makes you want to read more. I especially didn't like the way these 'advices for success' were put. Like most other self-help books, the author doesn't choose to explain, proove, and engage his readers intelligently; instead, he sounds like an Old Testament God, booming "Thou shalt do this." He could have used some subtlety. Of course, if you like the genre of ever-growing self-help books, you'll probably like this one too. Oh, and if you're not Christian you might be troubled with this book because it's written from the viewpoint of a Christian author. You might be troubled even if you're Christian. I didn't like the way the author was all proclaiming and declaring God's will. God's complex and should be taken as such, but the way he puts it you'd think He's a business corporate CEO. In an age where wisdom is rare and hard to find, I can understand why this book became so popular. It promises wisdom, success and courage in exchange for a few bucks and a few hours. The thing is, though, one book can't and won't change your life. People are slowly and constantly changed by what they read and watch, and one book may modify the reader's thinking process significantly in one area, but it will not grant wisdom to a fool and courage to a coward. A book that tries to do so is trying for too much. And a reader who wishes for a wonder-book of that kind is hoping for too much in exchange for too little effort. Wisdom can be found in small quantities in almost anywhere; novels of great authors, well-made movies, the words of a friend.... Look wide and deep, don't end your search with just one self-help book.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't see anything new or interesting here
Review: It's fascinating how people so greatly differ in their evaluation of books, movies, etc. There are people smarter than I am who probably love this book, but I didn't. Sometimes when this happens, I want to look deeper and try to see what they see, figure out what I've missed. Not this time. This is simply a really bad book. I attempted to get past the writing to see if the author has anything interesting to say, but came up with nothing but cliches. If this were written by my teenage son for an english project, I'd say, "Good job." But to publish it? Well, haven't most of us long stopped needing this kind of thing?
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Summary: Ms. Liz, psychotherapist
Review: Just bought copies for my two sons and nephew, all 20 somethings. This book is engaging, visual, simple, and comprehensive. It is changing my life each day, amazingly! It is engaging enough for my ADHD son who doesn't read - I think. I would love to have a tape of this book to have him "read".
If you like personal growth and challenge books, this one is a rare gem.
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Summary: THE BEST EVER
Review: My sister gave this book to me for Christmas and it has changed the way I think and live. I highly recommend it to everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: Simply Fabulous...what more is there to say? This book is a life-changing journey. I challenge anyone to read this book, and not come away from it with a change in their perspective. I, like many of the other reviewers, read this book in one sitting. I woke my husband at 1 in the morning (after finishing the book) overwhelmed with a feeling of hope and understanding. The message seemed to be written just for me, although I'm sure everyone going through trying times will feel exactly the same way. I felt the author's choice of the historical figures was well thought-out and done well, and David Ponder's journey is one that anyone can relate to at any point in their lives. I highly recommend this book for anyone wherever they may be in their personal journey, and hope that they open their eyes and hearts to truly receive the message.
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Summary: Excellent Read for Any Trip
Review: The Traveler's Gift By Comedian Andy Andrews is a very readable and appealing book quite appropriate for our times of joblessness and looming war. The novel focuses on David Ponder's journey to wisdom and insight following the loss of his career and his desire to live. After a car crash he has a transforming experience of "meeting" Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank, King Solomon, Harry Truman and Chirstopher Columbus at the major crisis points in their lives. Each of these historical giants impart their wisdom to David, who returns with the courage to take responsibility for his own choices, seek wisdom, take action, and choose to be happy by developing an attitude of forgiveness and persistence in the face of difficulties. This light reading allegory provides much prescient insight for coping in the fearful world we face each day. Andy, a popular comedian who has come from homelessness to touring with the rich and famous ( from Garth Brooks to Cher) and entertaining four presidents has been quite successful with this his first book. Good reading for any trip!
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Summary: Effective principles but will not appeal to everyone
Review: The Traveler's Gift is a book of success principles told as a parable. It has several points in common with many other books in the self-help genre. On the plus side, if you study and follow the principles, you will probably benefit. On the downside, it is not especially original and it's not a book you would read for its literary qualities. This book also has a certain spiritual and political slant that will appeal to many readers but will alienate others. The hero of the story is David Ponder, a man down on his luck who, after an accident, finds himself hurled through history meeting many famous (and a couple of not so famous) leaders and other heroic figures. This includes two American presidents, Lincoln and Truman, Christopher Columbus, Ann Frank and King Solomon. The spiritual slant is definitely Judeo-Christian, with the archangel Gabriel even making an appearance. I suppose this aspect of the book can be appreciated as a parable even for those who don't share the author's religious perspective. The political slant I found a bit more problematic. Anyone who has qualms about the conventional American interpretation of historical events such as the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan, the noble motives of Christopher Columbus or the pure idealism of Lincoln and the Union during the Civil War might be distracted from the self-help aspect of the book and question some of the author's assumptions and historical sources. It may be that he is aiming his message at a very specific type of reader and is not concerned with such possible objections. This bias, no doubt, is reflected in the success principles themselves, which are mostly very macho and gung-ho (one notable exception is the section on forgiveness), with many military analogies . Still, the principles, which are called "seven decisions that determine personal success" are sound and well explained. If people follow the advice to be decisive, accept responsibility for their actions, and have faith in the future, they will almost certainly have good results. I was not especially enamored with the style of this book, but I know that it has touched and helped many people and I'm sure it will help many more in the future.
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Summary: Self-help and Fiction all rolled into one
Review: The Traveler's Gift is a gift of self-help combined with fiction, creating a unique novel in which we can learn to face the challenges of today through the people of the past who have had similar, though never identical, experiences. When David Ponder loses his job, his security, his confidence and his faith he is transported through time and space to learn one lesson from each of seven admired historical figures. Each lesson is part of the Seven Lessons for Success that promise to change his life if he learns and uses these lessons in his daily life. Although, the advice given is similar to anything you can read in many of the available self-help books, the presentation is unique in that we are able to imagine how each lesson was used in the life of the highly respected person teaching it. I would recommend this book to anyone who would appreciate some entertaining enlightenment after having asked the question we've all asked at one time or another..."Why me?"
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