Baby Boomer Author and Review

Sometimes a book comes along that deserves more than just a review. When that happens I will generally head to my profile on the Squidoo platform to create and publish a lens (web page) for the book in hand.

Growing Up In Boom Times warranted more than a book review from me. That said, you can read all I have to say about this baby boomer gem of an author and book by visiting Growing Up In Boom Times by Author Chris Brockman.

I will, of course, be updating this lens frequently. In the meantime, I would appreciate your thoughts in the comment section here and/or on the lens itself.

Have you read the book

 Growing Up In Boom Times?

This being my newest Squidoo lens, I will be linking this post up with HOP and SQUIDOO over at Marsha's Spot. If you Squidoo, blog hop along with us!

Service With a Smile a Part of Growing Up In Boom Times

This Baby Boomer blast from the past comes to us from page 88 of Chapter Twelve, "What a Gas" of Growing Up In Boom Times:


     "I worked at the Clark station in Keego Harbor. All we sold was premium gas and oil—and service. My training for the job consisted primarily of how to give good service. Good service meant smiling, being polite, always wiping windshield (front and back), and asking if customers wanted their oil checked. It also meant putting air into tires if asked--or better, if a tire looked low, suggesting it. For all this the customer paid 34.9 cents for a gallon of gas, a price which didn't go up at all until the mid-70's.

     Good service at the Clark station did have..."

Previously shared excerpts of Growing Up In Boom Times:

100 Words from Baby Boomer and Author Chris Brockman
Wild Berries and Grampas

WoW Weekly 100 Words is a book blog hop-a-long. Share a 100-word excerpt of a book you are currently reading. Just snag the hop badge and link, add it to your post on your blog, then return here to add your blog post to the linky list provided at the end of this post.

For your Information: I use The Word Count Tool to count my book excerpts.

Wild Berries and Grampas

As I read from the pages of Growing Up In Boom Times, it is difficult to choose which 100 words to share with you. I am enjoying each little morsel, with each tale tasting a bit more about my author friend, Chris Brockman. The problem is that I want you to know Chris, too, so I seem to select excerpts from his book that manage to hint at the character of the man I have come to like, to trust, and to respect within the past two years or so online at Gather.

Today, I share with you (from Chapter Three) a tidbit from Chris and his family's wild berry saga:

     "...a continuation of my own grampa's legacy.
     Last summer, while visiting Adrienne and Kevin in Western Michigan, Rowan begged me to take him blackberry picking, So, Julie, Rowan, his little brother Shay, and I explored the neighborhood bordering Lake Michigan and found a fine patch of dewberries, a close-to-the ground variety of blackberries. Rowan and Shay excitedly announced each time they picked a berry how big this one was, and it was music to my ears. We picked more than enough to renew their supply of gramps jam and the spirits of at least a couple of grampas before me."


I wish to assure you that you do not have to be of the Age of Baby Boomers to enjoy Growing Up In Boom Times. You are welcome to follow along with me each week as I share from this book or you can purchase your own copy and read along with me.

Previous WoW 100 excerpts of Growing Up In Boom Times:

1. 100 Words from Baby Boomer and Author Chris Brockman

100 Words from Baby Boomer and Author Chris Brockman

Calling all Baby Boomers, readers, and book blog hoppers! Hop along with me in the coming weeks as I read and share excerpts from author Chris Brockman's latest publication "Growing Up in Boom Times".

Today's 100 Words are a part of the Introduction of "Growing Up in Boom Times".

"...change is too often pushed on us by the large, powerful forces in our society, I also think that in our free society we individuals have the ultimate power to direct change in the direction we think is best. Younger generations have or will have an increasingly important role in deciding how our society will change. My own adult children aver that things have already changed greatly since they were children, and I can only imagine the changes my grandchildren will see. It's up to them, and it's up to you to change our lives and our world for the better."

~Chris Brockman, May 1, 2011

Are you a Baby Boomer? A Reader? Perhaps you're a book blog hopper. What are you currently reading?

Note: I use The Word Count Tool to count my book excerpts.

Growing Up In Boom Times now Book Blog Hopping

I am kind of glad that I did not get around to doing a mail call to announce receipt of this gem of a book. As fate would have it, announcing its arrival fits perfectly for this week's Book Blogger Hop question.

The Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books.com, connects book bloggers and readers together. It's a great way to meet and greet fellow book bloggers, authors, and reviewers. Each week a new question is offered up for us to answer in our blog post for the hop.

This week’s question:

"Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into!"

My Response: I purchased my signed copy of "Growing Up In Boom Times" by author and friend, Chris Brockman. As much as I wanted to read this beauty from cover-to-cover immediately, I have forced myself to keep two other book titles for review in front of it. Of course, it is only natural that I'd sneak a peek between the covers on occasion with it reaching out to me from the top of the pile of books upon my desk waiting to be read.

"Growing Up In Boom Times" is a trip down memory lane for those of us who grew up as Baby Boomers. However, it isn't just a glance at our past; it's a glance at our future -- viewed through the eyes of our present.

Enough about the book for now, lest I spoil it for you. I will share with you the personalized signing from Chris:

To Ruthi, who brings Sunshine

into so many people's lives.

Chris Brockman

06-21-11

How cool is that! While it warms the spirit...