We Are Not Afraid: Strength and Courage from the Town That Inspired the #1 Bestseller and Award-Winning Movie "October Sky"
Author: Homer Hickam
List Price: $12.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 075730012X
Publisher: Health Communications (01 February, 2002)
Sales Rank: 87,978
Average Customer Rating: 4.9 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
It made me cry with tears of joy
I love all of Homer's books. With Rocket Boys, Coalwood Way, and Sky of Stone, it was as if I was living right there with the people of his little mining town. This book is the same although much different. Rather than a story that goes from beginning to the end, it is filled with the wisdom of a "people who always lived in perilous times." I didn't realize it but I am also a victim of long-term fear. Something always seemed to be holding me back from going to college, now that my children are out of the house. No more. Homer has shown me how to over come everything that has been keeping me from doing what I should, to really enjoy life. I am proud of who I am. I stand up for what I believe. I will keep my family together. I trust God but will rely on my self. I cried tears of joy reading this book, laughed out loud in so many places. It is a treasure of a book that you will never regret reading, learning, savoring for all the days of your life.
Rating: 5 out of 5
A book of wisdom, humor, and great advice
What Homer has done here is lay out the attitudes that he was taught by the people of Coalwood that allowed them to defeat fear. We are proud of who we are. We stand up for what we believe. We keep our families together. We trust in God but rely on ourselves. He writes neat little stories to illustrate each one, then tells why they are important to keep what he calls long-term fear away. It's his belief that fear is like an addiction, that there are many people who every day get up and are afraid of what's going to happen to them. Through Homer's book, I was able to see that I am a victim of this, just like most people. If there's something that keeps you from doing everything you want to do, whether it's take a new job, or get on an airplane, go to college, or a thousand different things, reading this book will unlock the thing that's holding you back. This is pure wisdom folks, not of some ancient tribe, or religion, but of a people who had to learn to defeat long-term fear. It will make you think and look at life in a whole different way. As Homer writes, he's not a psychologist or any other kind of -ologist, but he was raised by a tough and wise people who gave him the tools to live a good life. We can all profit by understanding what is in this book.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Stories of Strength and Courage
Homer Hickam wrote a very enjoyable and informative book about his hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia, and the people who helped nurture him as a young boy. With his childhood stories, he took me on a journey through time to a place that many today would dismiss as "old-fashioned," and Hickam would argue was "the way things can and should be."Inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, Hickam reflected on his youth and realized the values he grew up with in Coalwood were what many people needed to move on with their lives following the tragic terrorist attacks on America. Hickam expertly wove his thoughts and experiences into the four "Coalwood Attitudes of Strength and Courage" (We are proud of who we are, We stand up for what we believe, We keep our families together, and We trust in God but rely on ourselves), which led to the "Coalwood Assumption" that most Americans found themselves either wanting to say or saying repeatedly following 9/11: "We are not afraid."
In his introduction, Hickam explains the purpose of this book: "If you want to stop being afraid, or if you want to avoid the habits of fear and dread, this book can help by teaching you a philosophy of life that will fill your heart and soul with a sense of well-being and confidence. It is a philosophy that was developed by real people who led good, happy and hearty lives while managing to raise a crop of children who went on to have successful lives of their own."
Hickam is a master storyteller, and his stories contained many powerful moral and inspirational passages. Some I related to as personal memories, others as things I missed growing up or never thought about, and still others as a father wanting his young son to experience in his childhood.
This book has a lot to offer to many different people with many different needs in many different situations. I encourage everyone to read this book and let Hickam take you on a journey of discovery into your heart and soul.
Book Index