There’s some curiosity about my one-word book review on Twitter.
“Why soulful?” people have asked.
Well, two reasons.
First, there’s music.
While Jonathan Chevreau, the financial reporter and National Post columnist who wrote Findependence Day, is known for his investment acumen, it was, to me, something of a surprise to learn of his affinity for music.
Music references abound—many of them serving as memory-jogs from the good old days of rock and roll. In fact, I burst out laughing—during one reading session—as I came across a reference to Uriah Heep’s Look at Yourself album—an LP I had once owned and had long since forgotten about.
But there’s something deeper, more reflective, about the book—something that didn’t, for me, come up often enough. Maybe it’s better to call it something of a contrast, some kind of push-pull disparity that I can’t quite put my finger on.
You see, to me, it felt as though Jonathan Chevreau wrote the book with two voices—one of them, logical, rational, and strictly by-the-numbers. The other, somewhat more thoughtful, absorbed—almost spiritual—as it mused about careers, retirement, and the meaning of it all.
And it’s that second voice that resonated with me—that led me to realize I was reading something soulful.
And yet, I couldn’t help but wish there was more of the latter (the reflective musing) and less of the former (the financial planning/investment stuff).
But, hey, that’s just me, and I recognize that other readers will take away an altogether different set of messages after reading Findependence Day.
And isn’t that what books are supposed to be about?
Ideas? Suggestions? Questions? Please leave a comment.
