Book by Vicki Bennett (forgotten the title)

Anybody can tell a story, either badly or well. Vicki serves up a hot meal of life's challenges and then offers the antidoes that will assuage the ill-effects of these "problemos" that do crop up in everybody's life.


THIS book is full of cliches, familiar sayings, tired phrases and borrowed
formulas. The initial urge is to fling it out the window. Fortunately, in
its courageous attempt to tell an old story in a new way, it succeeds to
an amazing degree.
When the last page has been thumbed, it is worth noting that the lessons
within may prove invaluable for some of us who have forgotten all those
wise sayings which came from our parents, grandparents, or even our
neighbours.One example is: Judge others and you judge yourself.
To spice up her presentation of ideas, Vicki Bennett ingeniously
conducts a running commentary on an imaginary person named Elizabeth, who
is shown moving through the passages of life. Her story serves as a
platform for projecting real-life examples of problems and challenges that
most of us face when we move from womb to tomb.
Bennett is a management consultant, trainer and speaker who, besides
managing her own company, also finds time to train young Australians to
become skilful entrepreneurs.
From the crucible of her own experiences, she produces chapters on
setting goals and following that dream. Examples of real people who have
pursued their life-long passions and are eventually rewarded for their
perseverance and persistence are cited.
The true tale of octogenarian Lorraine, who decided to surf the
Cyberworld instead of retiring gracefully to an old folks' home, serves to
remind us that so long as there is a spark of life left, there is always
something worth living for.
This book is also about forgiveness. It tells us to open our hearts to
others. It shouts from the table-top that we can "win by tenderness and
conquer by forgiveness".
No doubt a timely reminder for those who have been told that
sentimentality and sympathy have no place in a dog-eat-dog world,
especially with the young and restless in the rat race.
Hand-in-hand with forgiveness comes the often unused key to a wonderful
life - the natural inclination to perform random acts of kindness. The
capacity to feel good when you perform a selfless act is inherent in all
God's creatures.
Thus the seeds of happiness, success and fulfilment are mostly sown in
the forgotten field of human emotions.
Bennett hits the proverbial nail on the head when she says that
"sometimes you have to ask simple questions to get the right answers". In
fact, a person may have to risk looking like a fool to become smart.
But this book, which carries all the keys to personal enhancement, has
some minor faults. A quotation relating to a butterfly dream sequence is
attributed to Lao Tzu. That is clearly incorrect. The quote came from
Zhuangzi, the Chinese philosopher who wrote The Realm of Nothing.
Another flaw is its graphic presentation. The logos are weak and
amateurish. Bits of clip art come across as having seen better days.
Thankfully, these are insignificant glitches which d not eclipse the fine
ideas that come off the pages.
`New passions', `Be outrageous', `Energy level', `Break down the
barriers', `Past the point of pain' - these are some of the buzz-phrases
which string the keys that will jump-start the engine in the reader's
mind.
They are not new, definitely not original, but they all serve a purpose.
If this `keys and car' book has a message, it is this: we all need to be
reminded. It is invigorating to be mentally jolted now and then.
Surely none of us has outgrown all these age-old axioms. Surely all the
material wealth that some of us have acquired has not clouded our judgment
concerning the better things in life.
In a way, this little book should be welcomed in every home where there
are children. Parents should advise their young ones to peruse the pages.
Sometimes, it is prudent for a child to be wise beyond his years. It
should help cushion some of the blows which he will inevitably suffer in
life.
Bennett has concocted some original recipes with those everyday spices
from the kitchen of her mind to delight both young and old. There will be
a significant number of readers out there who will relish the food for
thought neatly packaged within the covers.
In conclusion, she tells us: "This book can be read in one sitting or
can be flicked open and read in small portions. It can be used as a text
to increase productivity within your organisation, or can be used as an
effective communications manual for a partnership or marriage.
"It can be used as a reference for effective relationships for teenagers
and adults alike. When the words resonate within your heart and mind, then
you will know how to apply the knowledge."