What do you think?
Rate this book
What I Learned When I Almost Died: How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down His BlackBerry and Started to Live His Life
What do you learn when your brain goes pop?
Chris Licht had always been ambitious. When he was only nine years old, he tracked down an NBC correspondent while on vacation to solicit advice for a career in television. At eleven, he began filming himself as he delivered the news. And by the time he was thirty-five, he landed his dream a fast-paced, demanding spot at the helm of MSNBC’s Morning Joe— one of the most popular shows on cable TV. He had become a real-life Jerry hard-charging, obsessively competitive, and willing to sacrifice anything to get it done. He felt invincible. Then one day Chris heard a pop in his head, followed by a whoosh of blood and crippling pain. Doctors at the ER said he had suffered a near-deadly brain hemorrhage. Chris’s life had almost been cut short, and he had eight long days in a hospital bed to think about it.
What I Learned When I Almost Died tells the story of what happened next.
Chris Licht had always been ambitious. When he was only nine years old, he tracked down an NBC correspondent while on vacation to solicit advice for a career in television. At eleven, he began filming himself as he delivered the news. And by the time he was thirty-five, he landed his dream a fast-paced, demanding spot at the helm of MSNBC’s Morning Joe— one of the most popular shows on cable TV. He had become a real-life Jerry hard-charging, obsessively competitive, and willing to sacrifice anything to get it done. He felt invincible. Then one day Chris heard a pop in his head, followed by a whoosh of blood and crippling pain. Doctors at the ER said he had suffered a near-deadly brain hemorrhage. Chris’s life had almost been cut short, and he had eight long days in a hospital bed to think about it.
What I Learned When I Almost Died tells the story of what happened next.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published May 24, 2011
18 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 25, 2011
http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....
It seems like recently, anyone who has had a near death experience gets a book deal. Famous not famous, good story or not a good story they sell their story to the closest publisher.
What I Learned When I Almost Died is a bit different and I will tell you why. Chris Licht, executive producer of the MSNBC morning show, Morning Joe, did not give up everything and move to a topical island, he didn't give up his high powered job to work with kittens. The title indicates that Chris Licht did change, by giving up his Blackberry, but really, when Chris Licht almost died, he got to truly see how many people loved him and that they would do ANYTHING, including asking Vice President Joe Biden to pull some strings. For the record, he did.
That realization, that he was loved by many, was almost more powerful to Chris Licht than the fact that he almost died. To read it on paper and watch the realization spread over him was a powerful thing for the reader.
I have never watched Morning Joe, heck I had to google to put faces to the names, but Chris Licht's story was powerful little story. It is a very fast read at just shy of 200 pages, but there is a great possibility of a huge impact. If there is a guy in your life who really doesn't get how loved they are, this might be the perfect Father's Day gift for him
It seems like recently, anyone who has had a near death experience gets a book deal. Famous not famous, good story or not a good story they sell their story to the closest publisher.
What I Learned When I Almost Died is a bit different and I will tell you why. Chris Licht, executive producer of the MSNBC morning show, Morning Joe, did not give up everything and move to a topical island, he didn't give up his high powered job to work with kittens. The title indicates that Chris Licht did change, by giving up his Blackberry, but really, when Chris Licht almost died, he got to truly see how many people loved him and that they would do ANYTHING, including asking Vice President Joe Biden to pull some strings. For the record, he did.
That realization, that he was loved by many, was almost more powerful to Chris Licht than the fact that he almost died. To read it on paper and watch the realization spread over him was a powerful thing for the reader.
I have never watched Morning Joe, heck I had to google to put faces to the names, but Chris Licht's story was powerful little story. It is a very fast read at just shy of 200 pages, but there is a great possibility of a huge impact. If there is a guy in your life who really doesn't get how loved they are, this might be the perfect Father's Day gift for him
February 3, 2012
First and foremost, I would suggest this book for people looking to read something while on their commute; it would be a great book to read on a train or subway. I would also suggest people get this on loan from the library rather than make an investment in purchasing it.
Despite the title, and the hope there is a great lesson within these pages, I found this to be lacking perhaps because the author wrote this a little too soon after his event. By the time the end of the book came, it became apparent Mr. Licht may have a learned a few things about his life, but this potentially life-ending event really hasn't changed him all that much.
Doubtless, writing this was helpful to him, though he seems unable to let go of the anger he feels toward the episode. Still, I'll be curious to find out if he does make some serious changes down the road. Having been the caregiver to a young man who also went through a life-altering event, I know sometimes the lesson is lost or ignored.
The main lesson in this book, which is no surprise, is friends in high places, the kind Mr. Licht (and Congressperson Gabby Giffords have), will afford a person the best care possible and THAT will go a long, long way to surviving with the best quality of life. The road ahead will be tough, no question; and continued improvement depends on the patient and their diligence but the initial care and attention the priviledged receive is amazing.
For a really great story, I'd suggest 'A Box of Darkness' by Sally Ryder Brady.
Despite the title, and the hope there is a great lesson within these pages, I found this to be lacking perhaps because the author wrote this a little too soon after his event. By the time the end of the book came, it became apparent Mr. Licht may have a learned a few things about his life, but this potentially life-ending event really hasn't changed him all that much.
Doubtless, writing this was helpful to him, though he seems unable to let go of the anger he feels toward the episode. Still, I'll be curious to find out if he does make some serious changes down the road. Having been the caregiver to a young man who also went through a life-altering event, I know sometimes the lesson is lost or ignored.
The main lesson in this book, which is no surprise, is friends in high places, the kind Mr. Licht (and Congressperson Gabby Giffords have), will afford a person the best care possible and THAT will go a long, long way to surviving with the best quality of life. The road ahead will be tough, no question; and continued improvement depends on the patient and their diligence but the initial care and attention the priviledged receive is amazing.
For a really great story, I'd suggest 'A Box of Darkness' by Sally Ryder Brady.
July 13, 2011
When Chris Licht learned about the survival rates for people who have suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, he knew how fortunate he was to be alive. The executive producer of MSNBC's Morning Joe program had just wrapped up another show in April of 2010 when he heard something pop inside his head. The 38 year old had been in perfect health--in fact had never been hospitalized-- but decided to go to the emergency room at George Washington University hospital. Thus began his fight to survive. Chris Licht writes an honest memoir about his life and the realization of his childhood dream to work in television. But after his recovery, he began to assess what was really important in life. He shares these thoughts in this moving book.
April 11, 2018
I loved this book, as I suffered a stroke one month ago today, and although, Chris suffered a brain aneurysm, everything he touched base on in this book hit home with me. Things I have thought, said out loud, asked my neurosurgeon etc. My neurosurgeon, like Chris' did his neurosurgical training at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona, one of the world's best places to be trained, counting my many blessings! Chris was 38 when he almost lost his life, I am 36 so many eery similarities, besides the fact I am not in a high power job or had Joe Biden on my side! :) This book is honest and a quick read, I really enjoyed it.
June 20, 2013
This book really spoke to me. Having been diagnosed with an aneurysm and undergoing surgery the following week myself this year, Chris' experiences really hit home with me. As a high school teacher and yearbook adviser, I take a lot of little criticisms to heart. I agonize over decisions, my students' welfare and public opinion that is often unrealistic and unkind. I spend hours ignoring my health and family to complete tasks for work. Chris' book and my own brain surgery/health crisis reminded me that my health and relationships are truly what matter. One typo or paper not graded within 24 hours is not what should keep me from spending time making healthy meals, working out and being my best self with my family and friends.
November 29, 2012
This is a sad and happy story. Sad for Chris Licht for having to go through such a horrendous illness, and happy because the knowledge he had gained from his unfortunate experience. His writing style is simple yet good, his language is common yet informative. The read is so quick and absorbing I'd almost forgot who I was and what time and day it was. And then, at the end of the book I'd decided that I never want to experience the trauma, as well as the pain he'd experienced.
Read What I learned When I Almost Died, you'll come away understanding just how important friends and family are.
Read What I learned When I Almost Died, you'll come away understanding just how important friends and family are.
April 23, 2012
Loved it - a quick read, at 162 pages - a reminder of how precious life can be, and how illness can change our life, and those around us, in a second.
The book is told with humour and honesty, and thank goodness, with a happy ending!
The book is told with humour and honesty, and thank goodness, with a happy ending!
June 9, 2025
What sounds like an intriguing and inspiring story of a high-powered TV producer battling an illness ends up being the opposite and a whole bunch of nothing meant to be leftist propaganda promoting benevolent liberals Joe Biden and MSNBC.
Chris Licht, who as the time the producer of Morning Joe on MSNBC, had a strong headache, doctors found brain bleeding, but after one week in the hospital they couldn't find an aneurism so he went home, and after a month he was allowed to go back to work. That's it. He never looked bad physically, had no injuries that were visible, never had any kind of struggles or disability. The whole time he was mentally alert and normal--he just had a headache from brain bleeding that no one could figure out.
In no way did he "almost die" as the misleading title claims. As a matter of fact, he could have taken pain reliever (as his physician doctor recommended), not ever gone into the hospital, and had no different result than he had after this incident. (I'm not saying he shouldn't have had it checked out, just pointing out that all of the scans, MRI and wasted medical efforts gave no results so he can't even tell us what was wrong much less that he "almost died.")
So the foundation of the book's title is a lie, which should come as no surprise to those that can't trust anything on MSNBC or the other future things Licht was involved with (CBS This Morning, Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and his infamous year running horrible CNN). Instead of this book becoming an insight into how to deal with serious illness, it's instead the story of a little rich kid who uses the system to promote his own self-centered agenda and twists newstelling into an artform that survives on ratings.
Licht was raised an elitist in a home with a doctor/father and physician's associate/mother. Both high powered and well paid. His lack of serious media training didn't stop him from getting an internship at Today Show, then stumbling into NBC newsrooms where he ended up stuck producing breaking news during the OJ Simpson trial. From there he worked his way up in newsrooms to MSNBC in New York City, even marrying another MSNBC staffer.
His elitist pro-liberal view of the world impacts what he considers "fair" and "truth" in his job. In his eyes what Democrats sell America is both fair and true. What Republicans sell America isn't. Therefore, in this story, Joe Biden becomes the hero. Yes, hard to believe, but because the stars of Morning Joe know Biden, they call the then vice president to ask that he contact D.C.'s leading brain surgeon, take the doctor out of meetings with others in order to drop everything and take over the care of this lowly MSNBC producer who has no visible signs of trouble.
Hard to believe, but it happened. So much for the socialistic views of the Democrats that everyone in society deserve an equal opportunity for quality healthcare. Licht got special treatment the whole way, including hospital visits from the network president, as well as then NBC-head Jeff Zucker, and NBC-provided limo driver and nice hotel stay for Licht's parents. Why is corporate NBC and the White House so involved in catering to a measly morning show producer?
Easy, because Licht has connections with almost everyone in the Democratic party and media, and he knows where the bodies are buried. They all are covering their tracks and want his favor since he oversees three hours of live morning TV on their beloved MSNBC propaganda channel.
There's great irony reading this book almost 15 years after it came out--the author laughably says to Biden face-to-face "You saved my life." Oh no, Joe Biden didn't. He just, as most liberal politicians do, acts like a hypocrite and usurps the system to benefit someone close to him. If this book proves anything it's that the Mafia-like former president misused his powers to get personal deals done that were not available to mere commoners.
This tiny book is so short (around 140 half pages when you delete the white space) that it qualifies as a term paper for a college class. It's not poorly written, but it lacks so much in detail and has no outside perspectives. Then Licht finishes it with a simplistic nod to how he doesn't get as angry at work as much anymore but fails to do any real soul-searching about the problems with workaholics, the abuse by liberals of the D.C. system, and the lack of true objectivity or truth on most major television news shows.
But even worse is that this guy is a jerk. An asshole. A self-centered know-it-all who thinks the world revolves around him. Even the idea that he turns a relatively minor health scare into a book that claims he "almost died" would be absurd if it wasn't so sad that this is from the guy who went on to lead CNN! That's how he and his liberal networks view truth? It's certainly not objective and fails to meet any basics in factual journalism.
The news media's true goals are proven here: to make money and to propagate their warped self-centered perspectives on current events. What I learned: leftist Democrats, and most media news organizations that are staffed by them, fail to use objectivity, facts, or truth to help us live our lives.
Chris Licht, who as the time the producer of Morning Joe on MSNBC, had a strong headache, doctors found brain bleeding, but after one week in the hospital they couldn't find an aneurism so he went home, and after a month he was allowed to go back to work. That's it. He never looked bad physically, had no injuries that were visible, never had any kind of struggles or disability. The whole time he was mentally alert and normal--he just had a headache from brain bleeding that no one could figure out.
In no way did he "almost die" as the misleading title claims. As a matter of fact, he could have taken pain reliever (as his physician doctor recommended), not ever gone into the hospital, and had no different result than he had after this incident. (I'm not saying he shouldn't have had it checked out, just pointing out that all of the scans, MRI and wasted medical efforts gave no results so he can't even tell us what was wrong much less that he "almost died.")
So the foundation of the book's title is a lie, which should come as no surprise to those that can't trust anything on MSNBC or the other future things Licht was involved with (CBS This Morning, Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and his infamous year running horrible CNN). Instead of this book becoming an insight into how to deal with serious illness, it's instead the story of a little rich kid who uses the system to promote his own self-centered agenda and twists newstelling into an artform that survives on ratings.
Licht was raised an elitist in a home with a doctor/father and physician's associate/mother. Both high powered and well paid. His lack of serious media training didn't stop him from getting an internship at Today Show, then stumbling into NBC newsrooms where he ended up stuck producing breaking news during the OJ Simpson trial. From there he worked his way up in newsrooms to MSNBC in New York City, even marrying another MSNBC staffer.
His elitist pro-liberal view of the world impacts what he considers "fair" and "truth" in his job. In his eyes what Democrats sell America is both fair and true. What Republicans sell America isn't. Therefore, in this story, Joe Biden becomes the hero. Yes, hard to believe, but because the stars of Morning Joe know Biden, they call the then vice president to ask that he contact D.C.'s leading brain surgeon, take the doctor out of meetings with others in order to drop everything and take over the care of this lowly MSNBC producer who has no visible signs of trouble.
Hard to believe, but it happened. So much for the socialistic views of the Democrats that everyone in society deserve an equal opportunity for quality healthcare. Licht got special treatment the whole way, including hospital visits from the network president, as well as then NBC-head Jeff Zucker, and NBC-provided limo driver and nice hotel stay for Licht's parents. Why is corporate NBC and the White House so involved in catering to a measly morning show producer?
Easy, because Licht has connections with almost everyone in the Democratic party and media, and he knows where the bodies are buried. They all are covering their tracks and want his favor since he oversees three hours of live morning TV on their beloved MSNBC propaganda channel.
There's great irony reading this book almost 15 years after it came out--the author laughably says to Biden face-to-face "You saved my life." Oh no, Joe Biden didn't. He just, as most liberal politicians do, acts like a hypocrite and usurps the system to benefit someone close to him. If this book proves anything it's that the Mafia-like former president misused his powers to get personal deals done that were not available to mere commoners.
This tiny book is so short (around 140 half pages when you delete the white space) that it qualifies as a term paper for a college class. It's not poorly written, but it lacks so much in detail and has no outside perspectives. Then Licht finishes it with a simplistic nod to how he doesn't get as angry at work as much anymore but fails to do any real soul-searching about the problems with workaholics, the abuse by liberals of the D.C. system, and the lack of true objectivity or truth on most major television news shows.
But even worse is that this guy is a jerk. An asshole. A self-centered know-it-all who thinks the world revolves around him. Even the idea that he turns a relatively minor health scare into a book that claims he "almost died" would be absurd if it wasn't so sad that this is from the guy who went on to lead CNN! That's how he and his liberal networks view truth? It's certainly not objective and fails to meet any basics in factual journalism.
The news media's true goals are proven here: to make money and to propagate their warped self-centered perspectives on current events. What I learned: leftist Democrats, and most media news organizations that are staffed by them, fail to use objectivity, facts, or truth to help us live our lives.
December 23, 2022
I didn't even know this book existed until I read the NYT piece the other day (12/18/2022) about Chris and his job as the new head of CNN. The book was mentioned in the article, and it was written a while ago, but I was intrigued about it. I have watched the Late Show with Steven Colbert, and knew that Licht had left that show for CNN.
Licht was a hard charging television producer and knew he wanted to be in the business since he was eleven. Over the course of the book, we learn of his rise in small markets to where he was when he suffered his health event. An event in which he swears he heard a 'pop' and then had the worst headache of his life. This happens when the show, MSNBS's Morning Joe, was doing a day in Washington DC. Not one to take time for anything but work and never taking a break from his BlackBerry, he reluctantly acknowledges his pain, and calls his father, a physician. He stresses that Chris should get to a hospital immediately, Once at George Washington University hospital, luckily the best one for his brain bleed, he undergoes exams, MRIs, and eventually several CAT scans. Meanwhile, news gets to the show's hosts, Joe Scarborough, and Mika Brzezinski, who make their way to the ER. Luckily for Licht, Mika phones, then VP, Joe Biden, who several years ago, also suffered from an aneurysm. He refers his own doctor, at GWU, to see Chris.
Scan after scan reveals that Chris's brain bleed was not an aneurysm, but a one off event. Chris, however, realizes that he has been given a gift, much like George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life'. A chance to slow down...
Some time after returning home during his recovery, Chris recalls taking a walk near Central Park in NYC with Mike Barnicle, a frequent contributor to Morning Joe:
"When Mike comes to NY to do MJ, which is often, NBC puts him up at a hotel near Central Park, and he tries to take a daily walk of nearly 5 miles around it. One day, not long after I got home from the hospital, perhaps the day the disability packet arrive from NBC, he asked me to join him for one of his strolls. I was a long way from robust, but I decided to hobble along at least part way, and the day was gorgeous and the park was in May bloom.
As we ambled from my building on Central Park West and down the sidewalks, Mike chattered about delightfully insignificant things. This, that, his broken Blackberry, and how he was getting it fixed. He didn't know my mental state and I didn't tell him. No matter. I liked his company and liked being out, because I hardly had been out at all. My strength didn't last long, and as we reached the point where Seventy-second Street meets the park and prepared to part, he turned to me.
"You really have to appreciate how lucky you are," he said "you're able to see how loved you are without having to die."
He sensed his words didn't register as much as he had hoped. He gently nudged me again: You have great support, Chris. You're lucky to know that.
Mike had visited me at the hospital in Washington, and had suggested then that perhaps my hemorrhage wasn't an all-bad event, because it would re-order my priorities a bit. He really thought I was too intense about work. With or without me, he had said at GW, there was going to be television, there was going to be a Morning Joe. But there was only one me, and I needed to take care of myself. He urged me to revel in my good fortune. What if my bleed had happened when the show was in still-battered New Orleans a few weeks earlier, instead of in Washington, mere minutes from one of the great neurological departments in the country?"
"In my business, young talent is often told something like this: Wait your turn. Don't try to get it all at once. Don't overreach. Put your head down, work, good things will come to you. Be patient.
But what if you don't have unlimited time to wait as the line slowly moves and you inch toward the front? What if you carefully map a five-year plan but don't get five years, because an aneurysm get you in three? My brain bleed was an official public notice that no one can count on having the time they expect. If you're ready and capable, reach for the next level of whatever you do. If something looks appealing and challenging, have a go. Otherwise, it's a pretty average life."
A while later, Chris has the opportunity to meet up with someone who trained him in his early years. She was just a few years older than he was. They had made assertions to meet up in the future and catch up again. Then....
"Two days before Thanksgiving, Denise collapsed and died of a brain aneurysm.
Rarely have I felt such chills. Her death transported me right back to April, and how close I'd come indeed."
This book is short, but it is a reminder for everyone to make the most of each day, because tomorrow is promised to no one.
Licht was a hard charging television producer and knew he wanted to be in the business since he was eleven. Over the course of the book, we learn of his rise in small markets to where he was when he suffered his health event. An event in which he swears he heard a 'pop' and then had the worst headache of his life. This happens when the show, MSNBS's Morning Joe, was doing a day in Washington DC. Not one to take time for anything but work and never taking a break from his BlackBerry, he reluctantly acknowledges his pain, and calls his father, a physician. He stresses that Chris should get to a hospital immediately, Once at George Washington University hospital, luckily the best one for his brain bleed, he undergoes exams, MRIs, and eventually several CAT scans. Meanwhile, news gets to the show's hosts, Joe Scarborough, and Mika Brzezinski, who make their way to the ER. Luckily for Licht, Mika phones, then VP, Joe Biden, who several years ago, also suffered from an aneurysm. He refers his own doctor, at GWU, to see Chris.
Scan after scan reveals that Chris's brain bleed was not an aneurysm, but a one off event. Chris, however, realizes that he has been given a gift, much like George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life'. A chance to slow down...
Some time after returning home during his recovery, Chris recalls taking a walk near Central Park in NYC with Mike Barnicle, a frequent contributor to Morning Joe:
"When Mike comes to NY to do MJ, which is often, NBC puts him up at a hotel near Central Park, and he tries to take a daily walk of nearly 5 miles around it. One day, not long after I got home from the hospital, perhaps the day the disability packet arrive from NBC, he asked me to join him for one of his strolls. I was a long way from robust, but I decided to hobble along at least part way, and the day was gorgeous and the park was in May bloom.
As we ambled from my building on Central Park West and down the sidewalks, Mike chattered about delightfully insignificant things. This, that, his broken Blackberry, and how he was getting it fixed. He didn't know my mental state and I didn't tell him. No matter. I liked his company and liked being out, because I hardly had been out at all. My strength didn't last long, and as we reached the point where Seventy-second Street meets the park and prepared to part, he turned to me.
"You really have to appreciate how lucky you are," he said "you're able to see how loved you are without having to die."
He sensed his words didn't register as much as he had hoped. He gently nudged me again: You have great support, Chris. You're lucky to know that.
Mike had visited me at the hospital in Washington, and had suggested then that perhaps my hemorrhage wasn't an all-bad event, because it would re-order my priorities a bit. He really thought I was too intense about work. With or without me, he had said at GW, there was going to be television, there was going to be a Morning Joe. But there was only one me, and I needed to take care of myself. He urged me to revel in my good fortune. What if my bleed had happened when the show was in still-battered New Orleans a few weeks earlier, instead of in Washington, mere minutes from one of the great neurological departments in the country?"
"In my business, young talent is often told something like this: Wait your turn. Don't try to get it all at once. Don't overreach. Put your head down, work, good things will come to you. Be patient.
But what if you don't have unlimited time to wait as the line slowly moves and you inch toward the front? What if you carefully map a five-year plan but don't get five years, because an aneurysm get you in three? My brain bleed was an official public notice that no one can count on having the time they expect. If you're ready and capable, reach for the next level of whatever you do. If something looks appealing and challenging, have a go. Otherwise, it's a pretty average life."
A while later, Chris has the opportunity to meet up with someone who trained him in his early years. She was just a few years older than he was. They had made assertions to meet up in the future and catch up again. Then....
"Two days before Thanksgiving, Denise collapsed and died of a brain aneurysm.
Rarely have I felt such chills. Her death transported me right back to April, and how close I'd come indeed."
This book is short, but it is a reminder for everyone to make the most of each day, because tomorrow is promised to no one.
April 17, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “A VERY SHORT STORY FROM THE EYES OF THE PRIVILEGED FEW”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
All book reviews are always subjective, and even though an event that brings the fear of death or disability into the life of any human being, whether a homeless person or a young man living a charmed life in the public’s eye as an executive producer for a national TV show is poignant… the review… for the benefit of potential readers should never be sugar coated. I have written approximately NINE-HUNDRED reviews and I normally adhere to one of the guidelines regarding not commenting on other people’s reviews, but in this case, I feel I need to for the benefit of potential readers… and that’s the one other early “lonely” reviewer who commented on the author’s “name dropping and ego”… because that is the exact impression I was left with. I might also add that I am a grateful, blessed, *BRAIN-TUMOR-SURVIVOR* who in addition to the fear of dying or being disabled by the brain tumor itself… almost died from unforeseen complications during the surgery which involved bleeding in the brain during the tumor removal.
This is an extremely, extremely, short book with 5” x 7” pages and only 165 of those, and most of those pages are filled with name droppings that ranged from Joe Scarborough to Vice President Joe Biden to Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal. In fact Biden used his “influence” to get his preferred Doctor assigned to Licht. The average reader, especially, anyone who has personally gone through medical traumas such as his brain hemorrhage or much, much worse… will not be impressed with all the cars and limos that are made available at no charge of course to Licht. Additionally the author (in my opinion) never fully details the horror of ordeals such as MRI’s which to most people are just words… until you’re locked inside one. Also, strangely lackluster are the “goodbyes” and hopes and wishes that are shared and expressed with loved ones when you don’t know if tonight is your last night… and if perchance you make it through to the next day… if you’ll even be able to communicate with your loved ones… or be a mind locked within a body. That was my biggest fear.
In summary, if a potential reader is simply looking for a pampered, elite, person, who faced a health problem, this fits the bill. If you or someone you love is going through… about to go through… or has been through… or facing the prospects… of something that is life threatening and unknown… such as brain tumor surgery or related items… there are hundreds of books out there better suited for such a reality.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
All book reviews are always subjective, and even though an event that brings the fear of death or disability into the life of any human being, whether a homeless person or a young man living a charmed life in the public’s eye as an executive producer for a national TV show is poignant… the review… for the benefit of potential readers should never be sugar coated. I have written approximately NINE-HUNDRED reviews and I normally adhere to one of the guidelines regarding not commenting on other people’s reviews, but in this case, I feel I need to for the benefit of potential readers… and that’s the one other early “lonely” reviewer who commented on the author’s “name dropping and ego”… because that is the exact impression I was left with. I might also add that I am a grateful, blessed, *BRAIN-TUMOR-SURVIVOR* who in addition to the fear of dying or being disabled by the brain tumor itself… almost died from unforeseen complications during the surgery which involved bleeding in the brain during the tumor removal.
This is an extremely, extremely, short book with 5” x 7” pages and only 165 of those, and most of those pages are filled with name droppings that ranged from Joe Scarborough to Vice President Joe Biden to Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal. In fact Biden used his “influence” to get his preferred Doctor assigned to Licht. The average reader, especially, anyone who has personally gone through medical traumas such as his brain hemorrhage or much, much worse… will not be impressed with all the cars and limos that are made available at no charge of course to Licht. Additionally the author (in my opinion) never fully details the horror of ordeals such as MRI’s which to most people are just words… until you’re locked inside one. Also, strangely lackluster are the “goodbyes” and hopes and wishes that are shared and expressed with loved ones when you don’t know if tonight is your last night… and if perchance you make it through to the next day… if you’ll even be able to communicate with your loved ones… or be a mind locked within a body. That was my biggest fear.
In summary, if a potential reader is simply looking for a pampered, elite, person, who faced a health problem, this fits the bill. If you or someone you love is going through… about to go through… or has been through… or facing the prospects… of something that is life threatening and unknown… such as brain tumor surgery or related items… there are hundreds of books out there better suited for such a reality.
August 22, 2018
http://escapingbetweenthepages.com/20...
This short read may only have 162 pages, but the impact it brings makes it feel much larger than that. Chris Licht has everything going for him. He’s producing the “Morning Joe” show and essentially living his dream when his brain “pops”. Although I’ve witnessed in life that illness doesn’t care who you are, this book was quite the reminder. Chris didn’t even have a medical history, but came very close to losing his life!
Writing wise, I loved that Mr. Licht asked those who were in his life about their emotions and thoughts while he was facing his illness so he could share that with us. It was almost like a “behind-the-scenes”. Also, I truly believe he learned a lot from asking those questions, helping him to grow closer to those who were there. However, I did struggle with him discussing so much of his career and past career info. I felt that it distracted from the actual point of the book.
On page 138, first paragraph, is a quote that stuck with me way after I finished the book. “But what if you don’t have unlimited time to wait as the line slowly moves and you inch toward the front? What if you carefully map a five-year plan, but don’t get five years because an aneurysm gets you in three? My brain bleed was an official public notice ghat no one can count on having time they expect. If you’re ready and capable, reach for the next level of whatever you do. If something looks appealing and challenging, have a go. Otherwise, it’s a pretty average life.”
This short read may only have 162 pages, but the impact it brings makes it feel much larger than that. Chris Licht has everything going for him. He’s producing the “Morning Joe” show and essentially living his dream when his brain “pops”. Although I’ve witnessed in life that illness doesn’t care who you are, this book was quite the reminder. Chris didn’t even have a medical history, but came very close to losing his life!
Writing wise, I loved that Mr. Licht asked those who were in his life about their emotions and thoughts while he was facing his illness so he could share that with us. It was almost like a “behind-the-scenes”. Also, I truly believe he learned a lot from asking those questions, helping him to grow closer to those who were there. However, I did struggle with him discussing so much of his career and past career info. I felt that it distracted from the actual point of the book.
On page 138, first paragraph, is a quote that stuck with me way after I finished the book. “But what if you don’t have unlimited time to wait as the line slowly moves and you inch toward the front? What if you carefully map a five-year plan, but don’t get five years because an aneurysm gets you in three? My brain bleed was an official public notice ghat no one can count on having time they expect. If you’re ready and capable, reach for the next level of whatever you do. If something looks appealing and challenging, have a go. Otherwise, it’s a pretty average life.”
November 2, 2021
Chris Licht had always been ambitious. When he was only nine years old, he tracked down an NBC correspondent while on vacation to solicit advice for a career in television. At eleven, he began filming himself as he delivered the news. And by the time he was thirty-five, he landed his dream job: a fast-paced, demanding spot at the helm of MSNBC’s Morning Joe—one of the most popular shows on cable TV. He had become a real-life Jerry Maguire: hard-charging, obsessively competitive, and willing to sacrifice anything to get it done. He felt invincible. Then one day Chris heard a pop in his head, followed by a whoosh of blood and crippling pain. Doctors at the ER said he had suffered a near-deadly brain hemorrhage. Chris’s life had almost been cut short, and he had eight long days in a hospital bed to think about it. [amazon synopsis]
What is really important in life when one is faced with the possibility of dying? I have never seen Morning Joe, but picked up the book because of his ghost writer, Steve Twomey, with whom I became acquainted during his time at the Washington Post.
What is really important in life when one is faced with the possibility of dying? I have never seen Morning Joe, but picked up the book because of his ghost writer, Steve Twomey, with whom I became acquainted during his time at the Washington Post.
May 8, 2017
This book was awful. Contradicted itself. It says, 'how a maniac tv producer put down his blackberry and started to live his life' which is what drew me in. Then I'm waiting to read about that-and that didn't actually happen. It even says toward the end, 'it's true. My blackberry and I are as entwined as ever.'
This just sounded like a person who wanted to write a book about an experience he had, that could have been written about in a blog post-NOT a book. Also-the way he described his life and constant name-dropping was getting obnoxious. F.
This just sounded like a person who wanted to write a book about an experience he had, that could have been written about in a blog post-NOT a book. Also-the way he described his life and constant name-dropping was getting obnoxious. F.
February 13, 2017
This book was a well-put account of the way things can turn sideways in an instant to make you change your outlook on life. If Licht included more advice on how he applies his new approach on the daily it would have been more of a must read. I look forward to more from the author if he stays true to using that extra vacation time by putting some of it towards writing.
December 26, 2024
It was a quick read. There is not much unique artistry or style to it. There are a few gems to walk away with but nothing of much depth. The title drew me in but I was disappointed with how shallow the storyline is. I had hoped for more in this book.
August 2, 2018
Well written, informative and heartfelt.
July 28, 2022
So so...I expected it to have a lot more bang than it did. You can learn these things through and tragedy. I wasn't very impressed.
September 8, 2015
This book isn't particularly deep or insightful. Don't let the title deceive you; there's no miraculous revelation, no life-altering thought, no grand motif.
"What I Learned When I Almost Died" is, however, entertaining. When I first picked up the novel, I had absolutely no clue who Chris Licht or Morning Joe (an NBC television program) was. Quite honestly, I still don't know much about him or the show. This memoir doesn't dwell on past information, but instead focuses on the here and now. Chris Licht gets an insane headache and checks himself into the hospital. Doctors check him out again and again.
Sounds pretty boring, huh?
This memoir's biggest pitfall is the plot's immediacy. It seems like Chris wrote this book almost directly after his hospital visit. His thoughts and emotions haven't fully developed, and time hasn't given him a better perspective on the situation. He should've waited a few years to pen this memoir.
Chris Licht is great at creating drama. That's what TV producers do. The chapters are quick, with nice cliffhangers at the end. I wanted to keep reading, despite the somewhat pointless narrative. Besides, it's not like this book was a time investment--I could read one chapter within five (or less) minutes.
The sappy ending drags for quite awhile, which knocks this rating down a star. Like I said, there wasn't a huge revelation. Chris Licht simply continued living, perhaps with a bit more happiness.
Isn't that what everybody wants?
"What I Learned When I Almost Died" is, however, entertaining. When I first picked up the novel, I had absolutely no clue who Chris Licht or Morning Joe (an NBC television program) was. Quite honestly, I still don't know much about him or the show. This memoir doesn't dwell on past information, but instead focuses on the here and now. Chris Licht gets an insane headache and checks himself into the hospital. Doctors check him out again and again.
Sounds pretty boring, huh?
This memoir's biggest pitfall is the plot's immediacy. It seems like Chris wrote this book almost directly after his hospital visit. His thoughts and emotions haven't fully developed, and time hasn't given him a better perspective on the situation. He should've waited a few years to pen this memoir.
Chris Licht is great at creating drama. That's what TV producers do. The chapters are quick, with nice cliffhangers at the end. I wanted to keep reading, despite the somewhat pointless narrative. Besides, it's not like this book was a time investment--I could read one chapter within five (or less) minutes.
The sappy ending drags for quite awhile, which knocks this rating down a star. Like I said, there wasn't a huge revelation. Chris Licht simply continued living, perhaps with a bit more happiness.
Isn't that what everybody wants?
May 4, 2011
It's hard to say what I felt about this book. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. I enjoyed the telling of the story but I couldn't help but feel like the author was a bit full of himself. I admired his calmness during the emergency. He didn't panic but called his father who is a doctor who told him to head straight to the ER, say he's never had a headache and this is the worst pain ever. His dad knew that should get him seen pretty darn quick and it basically did.
Finding out out had a bleed in the brain has got to be a very scary thing. More scary is lying in the hospital waiting to find out what is wrong with you. Tests coming back normal is great but there is something going on and it has to be found. I found the author very brave as he encountered the good, bad and ugly in the medical profession. He faced everything head on and didn't spend a whole lot of time feeling sorry for himself. Kudos to him.
Overall it was an interesting read. I am glad things turned out ok in the end.
First reviewed on my blog Reading,Reading & Life
Finding out out had a bleed in the brain has got to be a very scary thing. More scary is lying in the hospital waiting to find out what is wrong with you. Tests coming back normal is great but there is something going on and it has to be found. I found the author very brave as he encountered the good, bad and ugly in the medical profession. He faced everything head on and didn't spend a whole lot of time feeling sorry for himself. Kudos to him.
Overall it was an interesting read. I am glad things turned out ok in the end.
First reviewed on my blog Reading,Reading & Life
February 9, 2015
As is often the case for me, this was a book I picked up at the library when I went in for something else entirely. And is also often the case, I read this book before the one I went for (and enjoyed it more).
Hearing an example of someone who looked at their life and re-assessed what their priorities are was inspiring for me. I liked that the author was very candid about things that did change, and things that didn't change for him. I also enjoyed the jumping back and forth in time. That is often how I tell stories, and I feel it provided additional insight that a purely chronological approach might not have been able to provide.
One of the challenges I personally face in relation to setting priorities is that I am currently single and live far from my family. Sometimes I tell myself that now is the time to just put in more time and sacrifice so that those who have families of their own/ nearby can have more time. But I don't think it really works like that. And I sometimes wonder if I am preventing myself from building relationship that could lead to a family of my own by not setting more boundaries and sticking to my priorities better.
Hearing an example of someone who looked at their life and re-assessed what their priorities are was inspiring for me. I liked that the author was very candid about things that did change, and things that didn't change for him. I also enjoyed the jumping back and forth in time. That is often how I tell stories, and I feel it provided additional insight that a purely chronological approach might not have been able to provide.
One of the challenges I personally face in relation to setting priorities is that I am currently single and live far from my family. Sometimes I tell myself that now is the time to just put in more time and sacrifice so that those who have families of their own/ nearby can have more time. But I don't think it really works like that. And I sometimes wonder if I am preventing myself from building relationship that could lead to a family of my own by not setting more boundaries and sticking to my priorities better.
April 29, 2014
As a whole, I liked reading this book. a lot of the "show"based information I didn't care for, but it also gave me a better idea of who Chris was and is. I like the "plot"and the thought that anger really won't help you control anything. and how anger isn't worth the time when you realize how much time you're truly wasting. I would have to say one of my favorite things about this book is Chris's admiration toward his wife. he doesn't dwell on it the entire book, but be mentions that she is the greatest woman in the world. I love that he recognizes her as such a beautiful soul and intelligent.
September 13, 2011
As far as the industry goes, you won't get a more accurate portrayal of what it's like to be a TV producer. The decisions you make, the way you treat people, and the impact it has on your personal life. That's why I chose to read the book, but if I was looking for a great life lesson, I'm fortunate that I discovered I was already aware of what Chris Licht was trying to explain. Family and friends are more important than a tv show, and love should always triumph over work. A good reminder, a quick read, and I've already given it as a gift to a friend in the biz.
September 7, 2011
This book definitely helped me get my priorities straight. I would have liked if he would have added a chapter containing his lessons learned summarized and indicating what he is now doing differently. Unfortunately, the book does't go beyond a very interesting story of what the author experienced. It definitely is very thrilling read and there is a lot to learn from this book. I am glad I read it. What I most importantly learned from this book is: What can you want more as long as you are alive?
March 31, 2013
This is maybe the worst book I've ever read.
I wanted to get through it, to find out, you know, what it is that he learned. I will summarize for you so you don't have to read it: Work is not quite as important as family, though it's still pretty damn important. And, let go of the smaller things in life that bother you, such as that irritating line at the airport or trying to control every last aspect of that news show that you produce every day.
Atrocious writing, and I am glad this book is over so I don't have to be inside Chris Licht's brain anymore. He is boring and self-aggrandizing.
I wanted to get through it, to find out, you know, what it is that he learned. I will summarize for you so you don't have to read it: Work is not quite as important as family, though it's still pretty damn important. And, let go of the smaller things in life that bother you, such as that irritating line at the airport or trying to control every last aspect of that news show that you produce every day.
Atrocious writing, and I am glad this book is over so I don't have to be inside Chris Licht's brain anymore. He is boring and self-aggrandizing.
November 14, 2011
I enjoyed reading about Chris Licht's career and have to admit that this was a quick read. However, I'm not sure there was much of a lesson that came out of this book. Licht definitely learned a few things (we all would if we came that close to death), but as a reader, nope. Can't say that was the case. Other than that, if you're a fan of Licht and "Morning Joe" you'd enjoy this book. If you're looking for something profound, this ain't it.
August 13, 2011
Chris Licht was 38 when he had an aneurysm. He pretty much learned what everyone learns from a near death experience: family matters, slow down, appreciate life . . . but one thing that he took away that I haven't heard before is to consider that nobody knows how much time they have, so go for it, don't wait, flat out go for it, because tomorrow might not come.
February 18, 2012
A fast read, nicely written medical story of one minute being healthy and the next sick. So sick,it wasn't certain that he would live through the illness. He became aware of how many people around him cared about him and his well being. Going from sickness to wellness is a journey and this book took you along. I would recommend it.
October 6, 2011
Um, what did he learn? I'm not sure that the author answered the question that is the title of the book. While this was fairly written and an interesting story, I expected it to have a "WOW" factor that was sadly lacking. Lukewarm.
July 7, 2012
The story of how a brain problem caused Chris to rethink his values and priorities.
The book was easy to read and interesting but it didn't have a very long-term ' i learned'. He seems to have learned a few things but did they stick as time went on? That's what i want to know.
The book was easy to read and interesting but it didn't have a very long-term ' i learned'. He seems to have learned a few things but did they stick as time went on? That's what i want to know.
January 3, 2014
Chris Licht's story of unexpected serious illness and its impact on his views on life and fmily are inspiring. We should all reflect on what is truly important in life: family, friends; and loving relationships and actions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews