The Book

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives - Gregory J. Leeson

The culmination of an extraordinary adventure has manifested in a robust collection of 66 poignant life stories, each a mirror reflecting the reader’s own experiences and illuminating the shared tapestry of the human condition. At the heart of Leeson’s thesis lies a profound truth: beneath our apparent differences, fundamental similarities unite us, fostering deeper connections and empathy. Accompanying these narratives are 52 perspectives on the current state and future trajectory of the United States.

This book, nestled within the Amazon category of Behavioral Psychology, has swiftly captured the public’s imagination. Within mere weeks of its release, the Kindle edition soared to #1 in New Releases, while the paperback claimed the #2 spot. This meteoric rise speaks volumes about the book’s resonance; people are hungry for uplifting stories that help them connect with others. Notable endorsements from McAdams and Randall—renowned narrative psychology and narrative gerontology scholars, respectively—further validate its impact.

If you’re curious about the transformative potential of being interviewed using the protocol designed by Dan McAdams (detailed in the book’s Appendix), consider the heartfelt feedback from just one participant. For those who dare to embrace this opportunity, the experience promises more than just catharsis. It offers a profound journey of self-discovery, deepening your understanding of both yourself and the intricate lives of others.

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Academic Endorsements

“At a time when Americans feel more divided from each other than ever, Gregory Leeson offers a message and a methodology of hope. People find common ground through storytelling, Leeson shows us, for it is nearly impossible to dismiss, let alone hate, another person once you have come to know their story. Leeson clocked over 26,000 miles on his intrepid travels across the United States (and Canada), conducting extensive life-story interviews with people he met along the way. In this remarkable volume, he translates those unwieldy narratives into concise and riveting accounts that depict the many-splendored variation of contemporary American lives, as well as shared understandings and common ground. More than anything else, Leeson knows how to listen to people with humility and grace. We all need to learn how to do the same.”

Dan P. McAdams, Ph.D.The Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

“Gregory Leeson has done something many of us only dream about doing in our later years. Setting out on the quintessential road trip, he has crisscrossed the continent, listened in-depth to people from all walks of life, and woven their stories into this accessible, edifying volume, one worth taking the time to read.”

William L. Randall, Ed.D.2024 Visiting Fellow, Emmanuel College, Cambridge University
Professor Emeritus of Gerontology, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick

“At a time when Americans feel more divided from each other than ever, Gregory Leeson offers a message and a methodology of hope. People find common ground through storytelling, Leeson shows us, for it is nearly impossible to dismiss, let alone hate, another person once you have come to know their story. Leeson clocked over 26,000 miles on his intrepid travels across the United States (and Canada), conducting extensive life-story interviews with people he met along the way. In this remarkable volume, he translates those unwieldy narratives into concise and riveting accounts that depict the many-splendored variation of contemporary American lives, as well as shared understandings and common ground. More than anything else, Leeson knows how to listen to people with humility and grace. We all need to learn how to do the same.”

Dan P. McAdams, Ph.D.The Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

“Gregory Leeson has done something many of us only dream about doing in our later years. Setting out on the quintessential road trip, he has crisscrossed the continent, listened in-depth to people from all walks of life, and woven their stories into this accessible, edifying volume, one worth taking the time to read.”

William L. Randall, Ed.D.2024 Visiting Fellow, Emmanuel College, Cambridge University
Professor Emeritus of Gerontology, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick

TEACHER, COACH, SERVANT, AND THE MAGIC OF SMALL
THE ACCOMPLISHED TRAVELER FACES A LIFE CHALLENGE AT 70
A PRODIGY’S LIFE: POVERTY, ABUSE, SUCCESS, BLISS, TRAGEDY
THE LINGUIST/MUSICIAN/AUTHOR COPES WITH DEPRESSION
GAY RUNAWAY AT 15 GIVES A LIFETIME OF COMFORT TO OTHERS
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURER FINDS SUCCESS AND FAITH IN AMERICA
ECLECTIC LIFE COMES FULL CIRCLE, BUILDING BRIDGES AT HOME
EMMY AWARD WINNER, HALL OF FAMER, MANCHESTER INFLUENCER
FORMER BRAZILIAN PROFESSOR MAKES A NEW LIFE IN CANADA
FORMER CHEMICAL COMPANY LOBBYIST SAVES RIVERS IN WEST VIRGINIA
A MOTHER INSPIRES HER DAUGHTER’S EMIGRATION TO THE US
THE GOLDEN BOY GIVES BACK
CANADIAN HOCKEY COACH MAKES AN IMPACT IN LOS ANGELES
A HOMELESS TEEN’S TRANSMOGRIFICATION INTO A NATIONAL ADVOCATE AND POLITICIAN
THE ACCOMPLISHED ARCHITECT TRANSITIONS TO VINICULTURE
THE FATHER: A JOYOUS GIFT FOLLOWS A HEARTBREAKING LOSS
THE WOMAN WHO SPIRITUALLY EMBRACES CANCER
THE HERO, A POOR JEWISH KID FIGHTS THE NAZIS
THE ACCIDENTAL SUCCESS STORY: OR WAS IT, YOU DECIDE
A VIETNAM VETERAN SERVES HIS COUNTRY AND OVERCOMES POVERTY
REJECTING HIS WEALTH, A TORMENTED SOUL SEEKS A NEW WORLD
THE WANNABE TEACHER WHO BECAME AN NHL HEAD COACH
THE AIR FORCE CALLS AND THE INNER-CITY KID RESPONDS
BIRTH FAMILY CHAOS, FOSTER FAMILY CHAOS, A BOY IS SAVED
FINDING LOVE AT 15, AN INCURABLE DIAGNOSIS, A REEVALUATION
THE SELF-PERCEIVED UNDERACHIEVER FINDS HIS WAY REGARDLESS
NAVY PILOT FIGHTS THE 9/11 BATTLE, MORPHS AS AN ENTREPRENEUR
FRACTALS: GOING WHERE NO MAN/WOMAN HAS GONE BEFORE
EVEN THE FORTUNATE ONES HAVE THEIR BATTLES TO FIGHT
THE VOLCANO MAN!
A NEGLECTED JEWISH KID MEETS THE CHALLENGE
THE DEPRESSION ERA GIRL AND WARTIME NURSE
GO-WITH-THE-FLOW TO FINDING A LIFE PURPOSE AFTER AGE 60
FORMER SPORTS STAR, A CALIFORNIA DREAM, HITTING ROCK BOTTOM; A NEW LIFE?
DISADVANTAGED KID FROM A LARGE FAMILY RISES ABOVE IT ALL
THE ADVENTURER AND DEPUTY COMMISSIONER RETURNS HOME
GET UP. DUST YOURSELF OFF. PRESS ON WITH LIVING. AND HOPE.
A FRANCO-AMERICAN CHRONICLES HIS CULTURE
A CHILDHOOD INCIDENT, MOTHER TO TWO CHALLENGED SONS
A CLASSIC LOVE STORY AND AN OFFER DECLINED
RURAL, RELIGIOUS, HARVARD GRAD FINDS A CALLING VIA “FAILURE”
CHEMIST, TEACHER, CHEMIST, TEACHER, CHEMIST, TEACHER?
THE DALAI LAMA’S AND SAKYA TRIZIN’S FRIEND
THE SEMI-PERMANENT STUDENT, A WORLD CLASS ETHICIST
THE INSPIRED SCIENTIST, A RELIGIOUS CONVERSION
FATHER A TRIBAL LEADER, TRIBAL LEADER HIMSELF, SON A TRIBAL LEADER
FINDING PEACE IN SOLITARY LIVING AFTER A LIFE OF CHAOS
GEOLOGIST MEETS GORBACHEV AND OTHER FORREST GUMP STUFF
EARLY FAMILY DISRUPTION, HOCKEY STAR/CAR GUY MAKES GOOD
HIRED A CONSTABLE, RETIRED A CONSTABLE; WHY?
TENNESSEE KID, HARVARD GRAD, M&A GURU, DE&I CHAMPION
A MOTHER’S DILEMMA, AN UNFATHOMABLE DECISION; A FUTURE?
BRAIN DRAIN FROM THE USSR, AMERICA’S GAIN
THE KID WITH CEREBRAL PALSY LIVES HIS DREAM AS A FARMER
FORMER BRAZILIAN POLICEMAN MAKES A NEW LIFE IN CANADA
A GEOLOGIST’S TRANSFORMATION, A MAN IN HIS ELEMENT
KLUTZ/OLYMPIAN/SURGEON/FATHER/VETERAN/ECKIST/SCULPTOR
THE RESILIENT ONE FINDS PEACE IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY
YOUNGEST ONE ASSUMES FAMILIAL BURDENS, RISES TO SERVE
THIRD WORLD BORN, FIRST WORLD IMMIGRANT, A LIFE OF SERVICE
COMING TO AMERICA: THE UNWORTHY, ACCIDENTAL CHEMIST
MISSISSIPPI’S YOUNGEST FREEDOM RIDER (1961) EDUCATES
A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH ULTIMATELY DISCOVERS HIS TALENTS
MILITARY MAN CLAIMS DEGREE, SURVIVES TREACHEROUS HIKE
THE WEST OPENS THE EYES OF A CHINESE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER
FARM GIRL BREAKS FAMILY MOLD, PURSUES HIGHER EDUCATION

SECTION 4 – THE JOURNEYS

INTRODUCTION
EASTERN JOURNEY
WESTERN JOURNEY
SOUTHERN JOURNEY
GREAT PLAINS JOURNEY

AFTERWORD

MOUNT SOAPBOX
DISMOUNT SOAPBOX
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

REFERENCES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
APPENDIX A – THE INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

INTRODUCTION
INTERVIEWEE FEEDBACK
THE PROTOCOL

APPENDIX B – MY STORY (A Template)

MY LIFE – INTERVIEWED BY DR. BILL RANDALL

Youth – “Living in his own world.”
University – “A young man in a hurry.”
Adult in Canada – “The IQ test results came back. Greg, you are NOT bright!”
Adult in the USA – “But what separated Greg from everyone else was…”
Retirement and Reflection – “The dream endured.”

APPENDIX C – JOURNEY MAPS

THE EASTERN JOURNEY – 6,521 MILES
THE WESTERN JOURNEY – 8,274 MILES
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY – 5,178 MILES
THE GREAT PLAINS JOURNEY – 6,430 MILES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FOREWORD
PREFACE
SECTION 1 – THE PROJECT

INSPIRATION, METHODOLOGY, AND OBJECTIVE
CYCLE THEORY OF HISTORY
THE 1840s-1860s vs. 2008-20??

Loss of civic trust, pessimism
Extreme partisanship
Anger, resentment
Threat of authoritarianism

CONCLUSION

SECTION 2 – THE QUESTION

THE FUTURE OF THE UNITED STATES – 52 OPINIONS

Political
Generational
Societal
Racial
Media
Morehouse College vs. Wichita State University

Morehouse College
Wichita State University

Conclusion

SECTION 3 – THE PEOPLE

* TEACHER, COACH, SERVANT, AND THE MAGIC OF SMALL
* THE ACCOMPLISHED TRAVELER FACES A LIFE CHALLENGE AT 70
* A PRODIGY’S LIFE: POVERTY, ABUSE, SUCCESS, BLISS, TRAGEDY
* THE LINGUIST / MUSICIAN / AUTHOR COPES WITH DEPRESSION
* GAY RUNAWAY AT 15 GIVES A LIFETIME OF COMFORT TO OTHERS
* AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURER FINDS SUCCESS AND FAITH IN AMERICA
* ECLECTIC LIFE COMES FULL CIRCLE, BUILDING BRIDGES AT HOME
* EMMY AWARD WINNER, HALL OF FAMER, MANCHESTER INFLUENCER
* FORMER BRAZILIAN PROFESSOR MAKES A NEW LIFE IN CANADA
* FORMER CHEMICAL COMPANY LOBBYIST SAVES RIVERS IN WEST VIRGINIA
* A MOTHER INSPIRES HER DAUGHTER’S EMIGRATION TO THE US
* THE GOLDEN BOY GIVES BACK
* CANADIAN HOCKEY COACH MAKES AN IMPACT IN LOS ANGELES
* A HOMELESS TEEN’S TRANSMOGRIFICATION INTO A NATIONAL ADVOCATE AND POLITICIAN
* THE ACCOMPLISHED ARCHITECT TRANSITIONS TO VINICULTURE
* THE FATHER: A JOYOUS GIFT FOLLOWS A HEARTBREAKING LOSS
* THE WOMAN WHO SPIRITUALLY EMBRACES CANCER
* THE HERO, A POOR JEWISH KID FIGHTS THE NAZIS
* THE ACCIDENTAL SUCCESS STORY: OR WAS IT, YOU DECIDE
* A VIETNAM VETERAN SERVES HIS COUNTRY AND OVERCOMES POVERTY
* REJECTING HIS WEALTH, A TORMENTED SOUL SEEKS A NEW WORLD
* THE WANNABE TEACHER WHO BECAME AN NHL HEAD COACH
* THE AIR FORCE CALLS AND THE INNER-CITY KID RESPONDS
* BIRTH FAMILY CHAOS, FOSTER FAMILY CHAOS, A BOY IS SAVED
* FINDING LOVE AT 15, AN INCURABLE DIAGNOSIS, A REEVALUATION
* THE SELF-PERCEIVED UNDERACHIEVER FINDS HIS WAY REGARDLESS
* NAVY PILOT FIGHTS THE 9/11 BATTLE, MORPHS AS AN ENTREPRENEUR
* FRACTALS: GOING WHERE NO MAN/WOMAN HAS GONE BEFORE
* EVEN THE FORTUNATE ONES HAVE THEIR BATTLES TO FIGHT
* THE VOLCANO MAN!
* A NEGLECTED JEWISH KID MEETS THE CHALLENGE
* THE DEPRESSION ERA GIRL AND WARTIME NURSE
* GO-WITH-THE-FLOW TO FINDING A LIFE PURPOSE AFTER AGE 60
* FORMER SPORTS STAR, A CALIFORNIA DREAM, HITTING ROCK BOTTOM; A NEW LIFE?
* DISADVANTAGED KID FROM A LARGE FAMILY RISES ABOVE IT ALL
* THE ADVENTURER AND DEPUTY COMMISSIONER RETURNS HOME
* GET UP. DUST YOURSELF OFF. PRESS ON WITH LIVING. AND HOPE.
* A FRANCO-AMERICAN CHRONICLES HIS CULTURE
* A CHILDHOOD INCIDENT, MOTHER TO TWO CHALLENGED SONS
* A CLASSIC LOVE STORY AND AN OFFER DECLINED
* RURAL, RELIGIOUS, HARVARD GRAD FINDS A CALLING VIA “FAILURE”
* CHEMIST, TEACHER, CHEMIST, TEACHER, CHEMIST, TEACHER?
* THE DALAI LAMA’S AND SAKYA TRIZIN’S FRIEND
* THE SEMI-PERMANENT STUDENT, A WORLD CLASS ETHICIST
* THE INSPIRED SCIENTIST, A RELIGIOUS CONVERSION
* FATHER A TRIBAL LEADER, TRIBAL LEADER HIMSELF, SON A TRIBAL LEADER
* FINDING PEACE IN SOLITARY LIVING AFTER A LIFE OF CHAOS
* GEOLOGIST MEETS GORBACHEV AND OTHER FORREST GUMP STUFF
* EARLY FAMILY DISRUPTION, HOCKEY STAR/CAR GUY MAKES GOOD
* HIRED A CONSTABLE, RETIRED A CONSTABLE; WHY?
* TENNESSEE KID, HARVARD GRAD, M&A GURU, DE&I CHAMPION
* A MOTHER’S DILEMMA, AN UNFATHOMABLE DECISION; A FUTURE?
* BRAIN DRAIN FROM THE USSR, AMERICA’S GAIN
* THE KID WITH CEREBRAL PALSY LIVES HIS DREAM AS A FARMER
* FORMER BRAZILIAN POLICEMAN MAKES A NEW LIFE IN CANADA
* A GEOLOGIST’S TRANSFORMATION, A MAN IN HIS ELEMENT
* KLUTZ / OLYMPIAN / SURGEON / FATHER / VETERAN / ECKIST / SCULPTOR
* THE RESILIENT ONE FINDS PEACE IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY
* YOUNGEST ONE ASSUMES FAMILIAL BURDENS, RISES TO SERVE
* THIRD WORLD BORN, FIRST WORLD IMMIGRANT, A LIFE OF SERVICE
* COMING TO AMERICA: THE UNWORTHY, ACCIDENTAL CHEMIST
* MISSISSIPPI’S YOUNGEST FREEDOM RIDER (1961) EDUCATES
* A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH ULTIMATELY DISCOVERS HIS TALENTS
* MILITARY MAN CLAIMS DEGREE, SURVIVES TREACHEROUS HIKE
* THE WEST OPENS THE EYES OF A CHINESE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER
* FARM GIRL BREAKS FAMILY MOLD, PURSUES HIGHER EDUCATION

SECTION 4 – THE JOURNEYS

INTRODUCTION
EASTERN JOURNEY
WESTERN JOURNEY
SOUTHERN JOURNEY
GREAT PLAINS JOURNEY

AFTERWORD

MOUNT SOAPBOX
DISMOUNT SOAPBOX
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

REFERENCES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
APPENDIX A – THE INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

INTRODUCTION
INTERVIEWEE FEEDBACK
THE PROTOCOL

APPENDIX B – MY STORY (A Template)

MY LIFE – INTERVIEWED BY DR. BILL RANDALL

Youth – “Living in his own world.”
University – “A young man in a hurry.”
Adult in Canada – “The IQ test results came back. Greg, you are NOT bright!”
Adult in the USA – “But what separated Greg from everyone else was…”
Retirement and Reflection – “The dream endured.”

APPENDIX C – JOURNEY MAPS

THE EASTERN JOURNEY – 6,521 MILES
THE WESTERN JOURNEY – 8,274 MILES
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY – 5,178 MILES
THE GREAT PLAINS JOURNEY – 6,430 MILES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Book’s Foreword

Gregory Leeson calls himself The Life Chronicler, and in this fascinating, heartfelt volume, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, he exemplifies that moniker in a significant way. On his 65th birthday, he embarked upon the very sort of Out-There, “I’ve-always-wanted-to-but-never-got-around-to-it” adventure that many of us may dream of undertaking but, except for a Studs Turkel here or a William Trogdon there, never – as Captain Picard of Star Trek fame would say – “make it so.”

Entirely at his own expense, he crisscrossed the United States and Canada – east, west, north, south – for the sole purpose of talking in depth with as many people from as many walks of life as he could manage to meet in just over thirteen months. Some of these individuals he had lined up in advance, some he reached out to at the suggestion of someone else whom he ran into en route (“Oh, you’ve got to talk to my cousin Odell in Sioux Falls!”) and some were total strangers he fell into chats with, in a grocery store or laundromat, all of whom shared the ups and downs of their – more often than not, extraordinary lives.

Using an interview protocol devised by narrative psychologist Dan McAdams of Northwestern University, Leeson, himself an extraordinary listener (we need more of his ilk in today’s fractured world!), pulled out the high points, low points, and turning points and the broad, recurring themes in his tellers’ stories, stories that, on more than one occasion, elicited tears in both their eyes and his own as they prefaced what they shared with those magical words, “I’ve never told this to anyone before, but…”

And then, as you will see, he pulled off the impossible. He captured the gist of their narratives in under 600 words each, a strategy which, while it inevitably shortcuts the countless subplots and subtleties that make up any person’s story, affords the reader – me, for one – a soulful feel for each individual’s unique life journey. As important, it also gives us a sense of the common ground that, despite obvious differences in backgrounds, opportunities, and the vicissitudes of fate, we all share as human beings trying to make the best and the most sense of the life we’ve been given to live.

This accessibly worded, carefully crafted quilt of travelogue, biography, and auto-biography (i.e., it was his own car that, between breakdowns, ferried him from A to B!) is rendered particularly timely in that Leeson includes the responses of his American “chroniclees” – assuming that’s a word! – to a question which, he writes, “went something like this”:

Some historians will tell you that the United States is as divided as it has been since the 1840s and 1850s. How divided do you think we are? Why? What does our future look like?

As someone convinced of the healing power of having our stories listened to respectfully by others – a process I call “narrative care” – I believe that by asking such delicate questions and by listening without judgment to the stories of those who answered them, Gregory Leeson has set off a ripple effect of positivity the impact of which he will never fully know. He has contributed, I trust, to a tide of understanding that simultaneously honours the differences of opinion that there will always be among us and yet the commonalities of experience – losses, learnings, and loves – that ultimately unite us as a human family.

Bill Randall, A.B., M.Div., Th.M., Ed.D.
Visiting Fellow, Emmanuel College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England
Professor Emeritus, Saint Thomas University, Fredericton, Canada
Author, Fairy Tale Wisdom, Nautilus 2023 Gold Award Winner
January 2024

Gregory Leeson calls himself The Life Chronicler, and in this fascinating, heartfelt volume, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, he exemplifies that moniker in a significant way. On his 65th birthday, he embarked upon the very sort of Out-There, “I’ve-always-wanted-to-but-never-got-around-to-it” adventure that many of us may dream of undertaking but, except for a Studs Turkel here or a William Trogdon there, never – as Captain Picard of Star Trek fame would say – “make it so.”

Entirely at his own expense, he crisscrossed the United States and Canada – east, west, north, south – for the sole purpose of talking in depth with as many people from as many walks of life as he could manage to meet in just over thirteen months. Some of these individuals he had lined up in advance, some he reached out to at the suggestion of someone else whom he ran into en route (“Oh, you’ve got to talk to my cousin Odell in Sioux Falls!”) and some were total strangers he fell into chats with, in a grocery store or laundromat, all of whom shared the ups and downs of their – more often than not, extraordinary lives.

Using an interview protocol devised by narrative psychologist Dan McAdams of Northwestern University, Leeson, himself an extraordinary listener (we need more of his ilk in today’s fractured world!), pulled out the high points, low points, and turning points and the broad, recurring themes in his tellers’ stories, stories that, on more than one occasion, elicited tears in both their eyes and his own as they prefaced what they shared with those magical words, “I’ve never told this to anyone before, but…”

And then, as you will see, he pulled off the impossible. He captured the gist of their narratives in under 600 words each, a strategy which, while it inevitably shortcuts the countless subplots and subtleties that make up any person’s story, affords the reader – me, for one – a soulful feel for each individual’s unique life journey. As important, it also gives us a sense of the common ground that, despite obvious differences in backgrounds, opportunities, and the vicissitudes of fate, we all share as human beings trying to make the best and the most sense of the life we’ve been given to live.

This accessibly worded, carefully crafted quilt of travelogue, biography, and auto-biography (i.e., it was his own car that, between breakdowns, ferried him from A to B!) is rendered particularly timely in that Leeson includes the responses of his American “chroniclees” – assuming that’s a word! – to a question which, he writes, “went something like this”:

Some historians will tell you that the United States is as divided as it has been since the 1840s and 1850s. How divided do you think we are? Why? What does our future look like?

As someone convinced of the healing power of having our stories listened to respectfully by others – a process I call “narrative care” – I believe that by asking such delicate questions and by listening without judgment to the stories of those who answered them, Gregory Leeson has set off a ripple effect of positivity the impact of which he will never fully know. He has contributed, I trust, to a tide of understanding that simultaneously honours the differences of opinion that there will always be among us and yet the commonalities of experience – losses, learnings, and loves – that ultimately unite us as a human family.

Bill Randall, A.B., M.Div., Th.M., Ed.D.

Visiting Fellow, Emmanuel College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England

Professor Emeritus, Saint Thomas University, Fredericton, Canada

Author, Fairy Tale Wisdom, Nautilus 2023 Gold Award Winner

January 2024

Interviewee Feedback (Amy)

They say things happen for a reason, and this is a perfect example.

I met Greg randomly in Seattle. I live in Los Angeles but visited Seattle for two days for a job interview. In line at a chocolate store, we said hello and did some small talk, then went our separate ways. Later, we bumped into each other two more times. By the third random meetup, something told me we needed to talk more, but I had no idea why. I just went with it.

When we were about to say our last goodbyes, I briefly shared a little more about my life with the hopes he would ask to interview me, as I know my life story is a unique one to share. It turned out the timing couldn’t have been any better. Greg’s travels brought him to Los Angeles three weeks later, so we planned to meet then.

From the pre-interview homework question of breaking my life down into chapters and naming each chapter (a great retrospective exercise) to the last question, each was meticulous, had a purpose, and was well-thought-out. Greg took me on a journey of my own life while gathering everything he needed to write my story. My interview lasted about five hours.

The questions covered many different topics, and the answers to his questions brought out all types of emotions, from happiness to sadness, guilt to shame to regret, moments of pride, and everything in between. Not once did I feel judged or uncomfortable sharing.

When I first met Greg in Seattle, he mentioned some people he had interviewed later reported that they had healed or could process parts of their lives that they had never done before. I didn’t think I would have the same outcome.

But I was speechless when Greg emailed me my short story after turning my five-hour interview into 500+ words. He understood! He GOT MY STORY! Someone finally heard me, understood my journey, and could tell it in a way that allowed me to release so much of the pain I had been carrying for years. For that, I am forever grateful to Greg.

They say things happen for a reason, and this is a perfect example.

I met Greg randomly in Seattle. I live in Los Angeles but visited Seattle for two days for a job interview. In line at a chocolate store, we said hello and did some small talk, then went our separate ways. Later, we bumped into each other two more times. By the third random meetup, something told me we needed to talk more, but I had no idea why. I just went with it.

When we were about to say our last goodbyes, I briefly shared a little more about my life with the hopes he would ask to interview me, as I know my life story is a unique one to share. It turned out the timing couldn’t have been any better. Greg’s travels brought him to Los Angeles three weeks later, so we planned to meet then.

From the pre-interview homework question of breaking my life down into chapters and naming each chapter (a great retrospective exercise) to the last question, each was meticulous, had a purpose, and was well-thought-out. Greg took me on a journey of my own life while gathering everything he needed to write my story. My interview lasted about five hours.

The questions covered many different topics, and the answers to his questions brought out all types of emotions, from happiness to sadness, guilt to shame to regret, moments of pride, and everything in between. Not once did I feel judged or uncomfortable sharing.

When I first met Greg in Seattle, he mentioned some people he had interviewed later reported that they had healed or could process parts of their lives that they had never done before. I didn’t think I would have the same outcome.

But I was speechless when Greg emailed me my short story after turning my five-hour interview into 500+ words. He understood! He GOT MY STORY! Someone finally heard me, understood my journey, and could tell it in a way that allowed me to release so much of the pain I had been carrying for years. For that, I am forever grateful to Greg.

The Book

Academic Endorsements

Academic Endorsements

Amazon Reviews (4 examples)

Amazon Reviews (4 examples)

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

The Book’s Foreword

The Book’s Foreword

Interviewee Feedback (Amy)

Interviewee Feedback (Amy)