Edited by Marlo Thomas
Atria Books, 2002
381 pages
Available at Goodwill Bookstore
As any regular reader would realize, words are very powerful: They hold the ability to shape our lives, burning us with fire that either inflames or consumes. As kids, for instance, we form our identities around what our peers tell us, thus the proliferation of people who base their lives around the judgment of a, say, ten-year-old who called them names back in fourth grade. Alternately, there are people who have scaled great heights with only a few good words as stepping stone. For example, I have a successful writer friend who, following an English teacher’s scribbled compliments in the margins of her "What I Did Last Summer" paper, decided to make creative writing her lifetime pursuit. I myself trace my non-conformist attitude to a book I read when I was nine, Hope for the Flowers.
With the power words possess, life is sometimes simply a matter of hearing exactly what you need to hear precisely when you need to hear it. Think back to the point in your life when that occurred. What transpired next? That is what this The Right Words at the Right Time is all about.
Four-time Emmy awardee and best-selling author Marlo Thomas, who has used her father’s words, "Run your own race!," as the compass for her measurement of success, joins over 100 friends and acquaintances in sharing heartfelt accounts of the words that ignited their lives, words from which they still draw encouragement and clarity today.
The list of contributors is a delightful cross-section of celebrities from the world of sports, journalism, literature, politics, music, and film and TV. Most impressively, there is also a short contribution from the Dalai Llama. The fact that the contributors are all leaders in their respective fields gives credence to the compilation.
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali reveals that what drove him to excel were a teacher’s words, "You ain’t never going to be nuthin’." Broadcasting journalist Barbara Walters says she was inspired by a telegram stating, "Don’t let the bastards get you down." Broadcasting mogul Ted Turner writes that his life was changed when he heard a teacher say, "Put a premium on thinking for yourself." Entrepreneur and home styling diva Martha Stewart intimates that her personal creed is her father’s words to her when she was 15: "Martha, you can do anything. If you put your mind to it. Anything."
Most of the essays are written by the contributors themselves, giving the book additional flavor despite the occasionally jarring uneven prose. Given the proliferation of inspirational literature which can range from the annoyingly didactic to the needlessly wordy, it comes as a blessing that the entries all come in easily digestible length, making The Right Words at the Right Time a perfect option for easy, relaxing and, yes, inspirational reading. – Althea Lauren Ricardo