Full of beautiful, heart-wrenching, and hilarious stories, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years details one man's opportunity to edit his life as... read full description
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Jul 10, 2010
Scott
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I have a love/hate relationship with this book. At times, he had me frustrated with his writing about himself, and sometimes he hooked me with how he applied his stories to the point of the book. The 4 stars is an average: 5 stars for the point of the book (Life is a story, what kind of story are you living?). It really got me thinking and I have probably thought about this book everyday since I read it at some point or other. But, I gave it a 3 for the rambletastic ridiculousness of his stories
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Oct 30, 2011
Karen L.
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I loved this book.I listened to the author reading,audio version, which I highly recommend. He has a wonderful conversational style of writing. I liked his honesty. He shares stories from his life freely, sharing both his good and bad choices through both humorous as well as serious stories. Some of the stories caused me to belly laugh and others, like the death of his friend's wife made me sob. He shares about his father leaving when he was a child and about his finding his father later as an a
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Oct 27, 2010
Crystal
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free preview copy from Thomas Nelson publishers. I was so excited when I heard Donald Miller had a new book out, and even more excited when I got the news I was getting a free copy. then I got the book and read it. Oh bummer.
The book isn't bad, persay. it's just not life altering for me. Maybe it's one of those subtle books, that I'll find I keep remembering and thinking about later. But it definitely didn't strike me as I was reading it. I felt more like, okay, I'm going to listen to mor More...
The book isn't bad, persay. it's just not life altering for me. Maybe it's one of those subtle books, that I'll find I keep remembering and thinking about later. But it definitely didn't strike me as I was reading it. I felt more like, okay, I'm going to listen to mor More...
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Feb 01, 2012
Carrie
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After getting past the first 8 chapters, "A Million Miles" started getting very thought provoking and I was quite challenged by some of the ideas that Miller shares. The idea of creating a story, taking the skills and abilities that God has given you and doing something with them, rather than waiting for something to happen to you, has struck a chord.
As a caveat, that there are Rob Bell-esque tones in here, and I disagree with some of the theology that Miller spouts throu More...
As a caveat, that there are Rob Bell-esque tones in here, and I disagree with some of the theology that Miller spouts throu More...
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Feb 11, 2012
Sheila
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"If what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either" p. xiii
A story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.
A character is what he does (p. 74)
[who is this person?] ... "The only way to know the truth is to witness him make choices under pressure, to take one action or another in the pursuit of his desire." (p. 74)
"The ambitions we have wi More...
A story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.
A character is what he does (p. 74)
[who is this person?] ... "The only way to know the truth is to witness him make choices under pressure, to take one action or another in the pursuit of his desire." (p. 74)
"The ambitions we have wi More...
Dec 17, 2011
Ben
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Donald Miller was in a funk. He had written a bestseller, and was now a much sought after speaker. He was accomplished. But for some reason, all of his success didn't bring the climatic ending that he was hoping for. He felt lost. Then he received a call from two men who wanted to turn his book, Blue Like Jazz, into a movie. Miller was unsure of how to turn his book, part memoir and part collection of essays, into a movie. So the two men came to visit him, and teach him about story.
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Nov 29, 2011
Lizz
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So read the Narnia series in fourth grade and did not realize it was a Christian allegory until it was pointed out to me in college. I just thought it was a kick-ass fantasy story! Donald Miller IS a Christian writer, but I think it does his books a disservice and might put other readers off who could benefit from his hilarious insights by making him a square peg.
Miller writes in such a way that you are aware of his beliefs, but they don't exclude you, should you not share them. In fac More...
Miller writes in such a way that you are aware of his beliefs, but they don't exclude you, should you not share them. In fac More...
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Nov 24, 2011
Frank
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Book Review: A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller
Donald Miller has written several best selling Christian books but a A Million Miles may be his most effective yet as the author describes experiences that transformed his life into a better, more meaningful one. He discusses how we can consciously do the same.
The book's sub-title is "What I Learned While Editing My Life". Most people would already consider Miller's life meaningful due More...
Donald Miller has written several best selling Christian books but a A Million Miles may be his most effective yet as the author describes experiences that transformed his life into a better, more meaningful one. He discusses how we can consciously do the same.
The book's sub-title is "What I Learned While Editing My Life". Most people would already consider Miller's life meaningful due More...
Oct 02, 2011
Denise
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I adore Donald Miller for his self-deprecating humor and poetic
insights. However, reading him a few years after my initial
infatuation (I seriously thought I had a chance with him when he posed
for a picture with me at a book signing), I find myself unsettled with his conclusions mostly because they are fluff.
I want to commend his resurrection of the concept of our lives as stories. I think many youth today need to hear that. But the bulk of what he writes is Oprah-esque a More...
insights. However, reading him a few years after my initial
infatuation (I seriously thought I had a chance with him when he posed
for a picture with me at a book signing), I find myself unsettled with his conclusions mostly because they are fluff.
I want to commend his resurrection of the concept of our lives as stories. I think many youth today need to hear that. But the bulk of what he writes is Oprah-esque a More...
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Jul 30, 2011
Melinda
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Couldn't put this book down. Being present, really present to your life, is an amazing way to navigate relationships and the story of your own life. For example Miller says, "I was watching the movie Star Wars recently and wondered what made the movie so good. Of course, there are a thousand reasons. But I also noticed that if I paused the DVD on any frame, I could point toward any major character and say exactly what that person wanted. No character had a vague ambition. It made me wonder
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Jun 13, 2011
Jaren
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I happened to read this book during a particularly difficult time in my life, before reading this book, I literally was thinking if my life or my story was the right one. Then I picked up this book and read it in a day and a half. Needless to say, the book didn't help, it probably complicated things more for me because now I really wasn't sure I was living a good story, it certainly motivated me to want to live an epic story, but caused some serious introspection in my life. After getting throug
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Jun 02, 2011
Paul
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The main way A Million Miles in Thousand Years struck me was the way Donald Miller danced around this idea that many of us are waiting to act the lead role of our own stories. Literally, sitting at home, smoking a cigarette, hoping our agent will call. We want God to write some heroic scenes where we get to rescue the girl, make a million, kiss the girl, save the bus full of kids from the upcoming cliff while we’re on the phone making a few more million, and then relax on a tropical island (whic
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May 04, 2011
Barry
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As usual, Mr. Miller delivers an easy read that is highly entertaining. Unlike some of his past works, Million Miles delivers an actual message that you can put your finger on: you can make your life more meaningful simply by doing meaningful things. While not a new idea, Mr. Miller's parallel use of fictional stories to illustrate how our own lives are stories, combined in a way that seemed fresh and innovative.
A major downside to this book, and one that almost dropped it to 3 stars More...
A major downside to this book, and one that almost dropped it to 3 stars More...
Apr 20, 2011
Cindy
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Before I say anything about this book, I confess that I never read Blue Like Jazz. I skimmed through most of it, read paragraphs here and there, but couldn't find anything in it to make me want to read it cover to cover. By some random chance I recently ended up on Don Miller's site and found a blurb about this book describing how Miller realized his life was "boring and meaningless" and found a way to change it. What I read of Blue Like Jazz was to me boring and meaningless, so I d
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Feb 06, 2011
Whitney
rated it:
Many good points, and a very quick read. Pretty scenery and enjoyable vignettes. However, it's sort of like a self-help book for people who think they're writers. Donald Miller is trying to validate two conflicting issues. 1. He wants to write a good story. 2. He wants to make his life better. So he wrote a book about it. Very disappointed by the last few chapters, where he starts speaking about "all" writers. He assumes that all writers hate to write. Not true. People who are
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Feb 05, 2011
John
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"Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo."
That single insight, from the first page of the book, effectively distills the wisdom of 288 pages down into one sentence.
In A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller writes of how collaborating on a screenplay based on his life transformed his perspective on life, and then transformed the living of his life. As he thought on the fictional story of his life, he began to see his real life a More...
That single insight, from the first page of the book, effectively distills the wisdom of 288 pages down into one sentence.
In A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller writes of how collaborating on a screenplay based on his life transformed his perspective on life, and then transformed the living of his life. As he thought on the fictional story of his life, he began to see his real life a More...
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Jan 27, 2011
Matthew
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I’m not a Donald Miller fan-boy. Let’s just make that clear and get it out of the way.
Despite being a not-entirely-un-trendy Christian man in his twenties, I never read Blue Like Jazz. In fact, the only Donald Miller book I had encountered was Searching For God Knows What, which I quit halfway through (which I almost never do). I guess I saw why some people were drawn to his writing, but I just didn’t connect. At all.
Then, I read his new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Ye More...
Despite being a not-entirely-un-trendy Christian man in his twenties, I never read Blue Like Jazz. In fact, the only Donald Miller book I had encountered was Searching For God Knows What, which I quit halfway through (which I almost never do). I guess I saw why some people were drawn to his writing, but I just didn’t connect. At all.
Then, I read his new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Ye More...
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Jan 24, 2011
Holly
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I went into this not knowing what to expect. I haven't read any of Miller's other books; several of my friends think of him very highly, and I was really introduced to him (theoretically, not actually) because one of my friends works closely with him professionally. So, when I heard he had a new memoir, I figured I would give it a try, and was generously gifted a copy of this book by said friend.
I came away from it with mixed feelings. It's a good quick read, although I can see read More...
I came away from it with mixed feelings. It's a good quick read, although I can see read More...
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Jan 23, 2011
Josh
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This review first appeared on my blog, Jacob's Café: http://jacobscafe.blogspot.com/2011/01/i...
Narrative therapy is a technique that emphasizes and focuses on people's stories. The therapist finds the ways the client has "written" a dysfunctional narrative and helps the client find new ways to tell his or her story. Words are powerful and really do make a difference in how we understand our world and respond to it, even our memories of it.
Donald Miller, author of B More...
Narrative therapy is a technique that emphasizes and focuses on people's stories. The therapist finds the ways the client has "written" a dysfunctional narrative and helps the client find new ways to tell his or her story. Words are powerful and really do make a difference in how we understand our world and respond to it, even our memories of it.
Donald Miller, author of B More...
Jan 07, 2011
Carlie
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I liked this book more than I thought I would (hello Christian sub-culture writing!) but not quite as well as I could have I think. Miller's writing is good...it has occasional moments of genius but it often feels like he's trying on writerly devices to me and it sometimes feels gimicky and forced.
I found the premise fascinating. The idea of looking at your life as your ultimate writing piece and composing your actions as though you were going for ultimate story and character is fun an More...
I found the premise fascinating. The idea of looking at your life as your ultimate writing piece and composing your actions as though you were going for ultimate story and character is fun an More...
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Oct 11, 2010
Hillary
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Upon shutting Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years after reading the last page, you’ll probably think to yourself something along the lines of, “Well that was a good book.” And while much of the book’s content will soon be forgotten as you move on to a page-turning thriller or a hyperbolic romance, parts of this book will stick with you.
It’s sort of hard to categorize A Million Miles. It’s a book about stories—how they work on paper and also in our lives. Miller basic More...
It’s sort of hard to categorize A Million Miles. It’s a book about stories—how they work on paper and also in our lives. Miller basic More...
Sep 24, 2010
Laurel
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I listened to this book while driving support for Jeff in LOTOJA - on 9/11/10. The book had a double whammy for me as I drove by countless bikers facing their goal of riding 206 miles along with the early morning news recreating the events of 9/11 that ended so many lives. I'm not a big fan of memoirs (even though I've read many) but this one hit the spot! Always a good idea to do some editing for a better story:) I pasted a brief description below.
Full of beautiful, heart More...
Full of beautiful, heart More...
Aug 28, 2010
Elizabeth
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Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned From Editing My Life is a book that may have permanently changed me. I’d passed it in Barnes and Noble half-a-dozen times before finally picking it up to rifle through its pages. And, boy, am I glad I did.
Miller’s plight, described briefly on the back jacket of the book, spoke to me: “After writing a successful memoir, Donald Miller’s life stalled. During what should have been the height of his success, he found hims More...
Miller’s plight, described briefly on the back jacket of the book, spoke to me: “After writing a successful memoir, Donald Miller’s life stalled. During what should have been the height of his success, he found hims More...
Jul 26, 2010
Joe
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I picked up this book because I saw the "Living a Better Story" seminar contest on Don Miller's blog (http://donmilleris.com/2010/07/15/win-a-...). I thought it would be fun to enter, and figured it would be even more fun to do it with Anita, so I picked up a copy and planned to give it a quick read just so I'd be able to do a better job of entering the contest. I ended up getting far more than I bargained for.
To be quite honest, in the language of the book, right now, my sto More...
To be quite honest, in the language of the book, right now, my sto More...
May 12, 2010
Adel
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I became increasingly disappointed with this book and almost skim read the last few chapters - but ploughing on to the finish line was sheer drudgery.
I loved 'Blue Like Jazz'...it was fresh, original, hugely insightful in many areas, especially regarding his relationship with his faith, his dysfunctional relationship with women and his absentee father.
In this attempt to 'edit his life' he has become a pawn on the chessboard of a glitzy agent and pu More...
Apr 19, 2010
Rachel
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I was given this book by my sister because she thought it "seemed like a Rachel book". I guess she knows me pretty well because it was exactly the kind of read that motivates me. While the pacing did get a little slow and repetitive at the end, I still had enough "ah ha!" moments that I have to give this book a strong recommendation.
In this self-help/ memoir Miller starts with the experience of adapting his previous memoir into a screenplay. Over and over again he More...
In this self-help/ memoir Miller starts with the experience of adapting his previous memoir into a screenplay. Over and over again he More...
Mar 05, 2010
Steven
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I began reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years two months ago. After the first couple chapters, I thought "This is just Donald Miller, desperate for another hit book, riding the tails of what made Blue Like Jazz work." It wasn't long until I discovered he was on to something much bigger than in his first book.
Miller discusses in depth the elements of story and how they apply not only to movie scripts and novels, but to each individual's life. The principal is quite More...
Miller discusses in depth the elements of story and how they apply not only to movie scripts and novels, but to each individual's life. The principal is quite More...
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Mar 01, 2010
Kristiana
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Sometimes I read things at just the write moment...
I started this book when Hank came back from the youth worker's convention and hear Donald Miller speak. I wasn't in the right mood, so after 50 pages I put the book down to get to later. This weekend I met my parents in Alabama to see my brother perform. I went alone and decided to take this and Then We Came to the End (still haven't read).
I've been in a rut lately and uncertain of what I want out of the undecided futur More...
I started this book when Hank came back from the youth worker's convention and hear Donald Miller speak. I wasn't in the right mood, so after 50 pages I put the book down to get to later. This weekend I met my parents in Alabama to see my brother perform. I went alone and decided to take this and Then We Came to the End (still haven't read).
I've been in a rut lately and uncertain of what I want out of the undecided futur More...
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Jan 25, 2010
Christine
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I read Blue Like Jazz, Miller’s first and wildly successful memoir, in what seems now another life and another frame of mind. But Donald Miller is travelling with me in a freakish parallel universe. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years tracks Miller learning to view his life through a camera lens. This hook, life as a story, snagged my inner writer, pulling me through the book as Miller sharpens his point.
The book begins as Miller is approached to edit Blue Like Jazz into a movie scri More...
The book begins as Miller is approached to edit Blue Like Jazz into a movie scri More...
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Jan 22, 2010
Crystal
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I really wasn't sure what to expect when I read this book. I mean, it sounds interesting right, editing your life? I've pictured my own movie theme plenty of times!
I was not anticipating the roller coaster of emotions I encountered as I peeled through the pages. I laughed and I cried. Some of the stories I felt as though I was experiencing them myself, not because of circumstance but because of the raw emotion felt in those moments. These emotions caused me on various occasions to re More...
I was not anticipating the roller coaster of emotions I encountered as I peeled through the pages. I laughed and I cried. Some of the stories I felt as though I was experiencing them myself, not because of circumstance but because of the raw emotion felt in those moments. These emotions caused me on various occasions to re More...
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