Book Review: "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller

If I had to describe "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" in a sentence, I would say that this is a light-hearted, laid-back memoir written to inspire and encourage the twenty-something set filled with modern day proverbs and a refreshing outlook on life. "A Million Miles..." settles comfortably into the time in a person's life between adulthood and childhood, trying to fit in and know that you are okay is hard while it speaks to those of us who have been there and done that, maybe to see where we have been as average, giving us permission to look at our lives and pull out what was really important.

We are bombarded with the inflated images that the media portrays as real, commonplace, and normal. Donald Miller reeks of normalcy that we can see and touch, showing that life is so much more simple and sanguine compared to a movie. He shows the reader the jewels of living. In one chapter Miller describes bonding as something that is made stronger through conflict. And it's not just big pain that binds. It's any sort of conflict. It's any sort of common purpose being arrived at through a tough middle that brings people together.

While reading this book I took time to reflect on my own life and my own writing. ...a story, Miller writes, is based on what people think is important, so when we live a story, we are telling the people around us what we think is important.

The only negative comment I have about this book is the laid-back tone. It took several chapters for me to get past language that didn't transcend into my age bracket. Maybe I'm just getting older...

Nonetheless, I highly recommend this easy read. Miller gets five stars from me!