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10 1/2 Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said
The antidote to those cotton-candy platitudes that are all too familiar to anyone who’s ever worn a mortarboard, Wheelan’s 10½ head-turning aphorisms—backed up by a PhD in public policy and extensive social science research—set the record straight. Readers everywhere agreed, turning a Dartmouth Class Day speech that had gone viral into a best-selling book.
Whether praising...more
Whether praising...more
Hardcover, 1st Edition, 128 pages
Published
May 7th 2012
by W. W. Norton & Company
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I'm quite sure that few of us remember any of the speeches from the commencements we've attended, regardless of whether you were the graduate, family or friends. It's difficult to come up with a new spin on the typical aphorisms and platitudes - you know, "go forth and conquer the world", "follow your dreams," "live long and prosper", etc.
When I first spotted the title of this book, I expected it to be a humorous, sarcastic take on the typical graduation advice. When I browsed the first chapter,...more
When I first spotted the title of this book, I expected it to be a humorous, sarcastic take on the typical graduation advice. When I browsed the first chapter,...more
Sure, you can read Charles Wheelan’s speech reprinted on the Wall Street Journal or even look up the complete speech on Dartmouth College’s site, but I still think his book, “10 1/2 Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said” is worth reading.
Initially, his second point was what stuck out the most for me: “Some of your worst days lie ahead.”
He writes: “I am here to tell you that between today and twenty years from now, and even then at some points, there are going to be some stretches that are...more
Initially, his second point was what stuck out the most for me: “Some of your worst days lie ahead.”
He writes: “I am here to tell you that between today and twenty years from now, and even then at some points, there are going to be some stretches that are...more
This was a good book by a guy who gave a speech at Dartmouth’s class day (the day before commencement) and the book is based upon that original speech. Overall it was interesting as he gives you life lessons that he wished other commencement speakers would have given him. A couple of things that really impacted me was that, “Your parents don’t always know whats best for you”. He explained how the three most important things that defined his life was deciding to take a year off after graduation t...more
Charles Wheelan's 10 1/2 Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said is a cute book where Wheelan gives short practical advice to college students about what they should do post-graduation. I don't want to spoil too much of the phone, but some of the pieces of advice include: don't make the world worse with the type of work you'll be doing, marry someone smarter than you, and read obituaries to get what people consider a more 'objective' measure of a person's life. I wish someone would have giv...more
Read this on a round-trip metro ride today and thought there were some lovely pieces of advice for people about to graduate (it skews more toward college, but these are things graduating high schoolers should think about to). Stressed are the importance of happiness, of making real connections with people, and of taking opportunities (or creating them) to have new experiences (even if it means accumulating less wealth). Quite enjoyed this!
We sell this book at work. I was originally uninterested, but one very slow day I decided to peruse it. I loved it! Its short but so chock-o-clock full of little gems that I wish I had been told so I didn't have to learn them the hard way. After reaching page 3, I knew without a doubt that I was going to have to buy it and keep it forever.
Wish this had been my high school commencement speech. Hope when I graduate college, someone will be brave enough to speak plain and sober on the commencement platform. Not a cheery and happy go lucky book, but the message is very meaningful. Like a good storyteller, wheelan illustrates his points with ample examples from his personal and professional life.
I loved this. It would make a great gift for anybody starting a new phase of life. It's funny, pithy, and rings so true. I especially liked the chapters called "Help stop the Little League Arms Race" and "Your Parents don't want what's best for you." His ending advice was perfect, "Don't try to be great. Be solid."
I am continuously drawn to small volumes of "speeches turned essays", even when I'm not quite the target audience. In this case, I found the chapter on parents wanting what is safe rather than what is "best" for their kids enlightening, but found the greatest personal takeaway from "Do not try to be great; try to be solid."
A very well written concise book that everyone, not just graduates must read. Slightly in the humorous vein, but totally sincere, Wheelan spells out things that we as adults have learned from hard knocks of life and what recent graduates may not be aware of.
Genuine advice, easy book to read, a good book to own.
Genuine advice, easy book to read, a good book to own.
Some may dismiss this as just another advice-to-grads books, but the advice given is truly some that should be taken. And it's given in such a concise way as to be memorable and applicable. My take-away quote: "Have I created a race out of something that ought to be a journey?"
Book was interesting and has some good points.. Not for High School graduates but for college age kids. Some of the points include lessons more difficult to understand until too late. Good advice for all of us
Super quick read, but full of important life lessons. I wish this speech (turned book) had been said at my commencement. It would have kept my attention far better, and I would have made an effort to live the lessons.
Wheelan's book deserves to be read, both by those who are starting their careers and those who are still on the journey. It can be read in one sitting and is filled with thoughtful, real world advice.
This book, by its nature, is targeting graduates of four-year universities who, in the tradition of the middle-upper-class, have the luxury of having and making choices. And these are exactly the sorts of things that students graduating from those institutions need to hear. Give this out with David Foster Wallace's "This Is Water" and your graduate will be well on the way to reality!
VERY quick read, finished within an hour. Totally wished I'd read this book a semester or two before I graduated. Author definitely speaks some truth! All undergrads should read this prior to graduation.
Saw this at the library, finished it in one sitting. It's a short read - life lessons presented in a fresh and funny way.
It is a good piece of advise that no one gave me when I graduated.
Especially "Choose your spouse smarter than you are"
Especially "Choose your spouse smarter than you are"
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/02/1518673...
Amusing:
pg 90
ass*
footnote: A technical term often used by academics to mean "difficult; prone to offering resistance"
Amusing:
pg 90
ass*
footnote: A technical term often used by academics to mean "difficult; prone to offering resistance"
This is a book I plan to read again and again. Solid advice. Clever humor. A great gift for any graduate at any age.
Life lessons from the author of Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science (2002). Practical and amusing.
Great.
This is a short book--it's just a slightly tweaked version of a speech he gave, which you can read online--but great. He makes some very good and very useful points in this book.
This is a short book--it's just a slightly tweaked version of a speech he gave, which you can read online--but great. He makes some very good and very useful points in this book.
Probably wouldn't have read it if it wasn't given to me as a gift. But it was quite enjoyable.
Short. Valuable as thought fodder prior to grad speeches. Common sense parents and teachers should share with students in secondary and post-secondary school.
Great advice for living, whether right after college or down the road.
An amazingly inspiring book. Quick and easy read with lots of humor. You can knock it out in one evening.
Loved it - I would give this to any graduate or young person I cared about!
Loved it! Some very wise insights in this little book.
Absolutely brilliant. Creative, informative, and humbling.
Excellent advice for students of all ages.
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