Book Review - Road Rules: Be the Truck. Not the Squirrel. Learn the 12 Essential Rules for Navigating the Road of Life by Andrew J. Sherman
Category Book Review Andrew J. Sherman Road Rules: Be the Truck. Not the Squirrel. Learn the 12 Essential Rules for Navigating the Road of Life
I'll be the first to admit it was the title that drew me into reading this book... Road Rules: Be the Truck. Not the Squirrel. Learn the 12 Essential Rules for Navigating the Road of Life by Andrew J. Sherman. Just something comical (to me at least), comparing life skills to trucks and squirrels (and by extension, road kill). I wasn't sure he could keep the analogy of life being like driving throughout the whole book. But to my surprise, he actually pulled it off, and the result is a solid and unique way to look at personal life skills.
Contents:
Introduction
Road Rule #1: Be the Truck. Not the Squirrel.
Road Rule #2: Share the Road
Road Rule #3: Happiness is a Clear Windshield
Road Rule #4: Embrace Your Dashboard
Road Rule #5: Pay Careful Attention to the Road Signs of Life
Road Rule #6: Be Guided by Your Navigational System
Road Rule #7: Don't Fear the Back Roads
Road Rule #8: Be an All-Weather Driver
Road Rule #9: Accidents Can Happen Even to the Best Drivers
Road Rule #10: Objects in the Rearview Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
Road Rule #11: Life Is A Four-Way Intersection
Road Rule #12: Don't Judge A Driver by His Vehicle
Random Thoughts and Bumper Stickers
Looking at the 12 rules, you can probably figure out relatively quickly where he's going with each analogy. For instance, a truck is a strong, durable vehicle that gathers momentum and is driven with a purpose. Squirrels, on the other hand, are running from place to place, eating acorns and minding their own business until they happen to wander into the path of a truck. Road kill! Sherman starts from this point to guide you through actions and mindsets that place you in the position of becoming a truck on the road of life rather than the smushed squirrel at the side of the road. I was personally impacted by rule #7. Not fearing the back roads shows how you often need to change paths and take alternative routes to get where you're going. It may be that the established path is taking too long, or perhaps there's an accident that has brought your progress to a halt. Unless you are willing to look for a different road to your destination, you're going to be stuck (or severely delayed) and prevented from reaching your destination. Something I have to keep reminding myself of...
Sherman does an excellent job in drawing applications from various and diverse sources. He may go from classic spiritual passages to modern pop music lyrics all in the space of a paragraph. But instead of looking like random thoughts, he does successfully tie them into a cohesive message. If you've read other personal improvement books, Road Rules will not offer up any deep mystical truths that you've never encountered before. But what it *will* do is remind you of important truths that will change your mindset next time you turn the key and pull out of your driveway.
I'll be the first to admit it was the title that drew me into reading this book... Road Rules: Be the Truck. Not the Squirrel. Learn the 12 Essential Rules for Navigating the Road of Life by Andrew J. Sherman. Just something comical (to me at least), comparing life skills to trucks and squirrels (and by extension, road kill). I wasn't sure he could keep the analogy of life being like driving throughout the whole book. But to my surprise, he actually pulled it off, and the result is a solid and unique way to look at personal life skills.
Contents:
Introduction
Road Rule #1: Be the Truck. Not the Squirrel.
Road Rule #2: Share the Road
Road Rule #3: Happiness is a Clear Windshield
Road Rule #4: Embrace Your Dashboard
Road Rule #5: Pay Careful Attention to the Road Signs of Life
Road Rule #6: Be Guided by Your Navigational System
Road Rule #7: Don't Fear the Back Roads
Road Rule #8: Be an All-Weather Driver
Road Rule #9: Accidents Can Happen Even to the Best Drivers
Road Rule #10: Objects in the Rearview Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
Road Rule #11: Life Is A Four-Way Intersection
Road Rule #12: Don't Judge A Driver by His Vehicle
Random Thoughts and Bumper Stickers
Looking at the 12 rules, you can probably figure out relatively quickly where he's going with each analogy. For instance, a truck is a strong, durable vehicle that gathers momentum and is driven with a purpose. Squirrels, on the other hand, are running from place to place, eating acorns and minding their own business until they happen to wander into the path of a truck. Road kill! Sherman starts from this point to guide you through actions and mindsets that place you in the position of becoming a truck on the road of life rather than the smushed squirrel at the side of the road. I was personally impacted by rule #7. Not fearing the back roads shows how you often need to change paths and take alternative routes to get where you're going. It may be that the established path is taking too long, or perhaps there's an accident that has brought your progress to a halt. Unless you are willing to look for a different road to your destination, you're going to be stuck (or severely delayed) and prevented from reaching your destination. Something I have to keep reminding myself of...
Sherman does an excellent job in drawing applications from various and diverse sources. He may go from classic spiritual passages to modern pop music lyrics all in the space of a paragraph. But instead of looking like random thoughts, he does successfully tie them into a cohesive message. If you've read other personal improvement books, Road Rules will not offer up any deep mystical truths that you've never encountered before. But what it *will* do is remind you of important truths that will change your mindset next time you turn the key and pull out of your driveway.
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