Maybe (Maybe Not): Second Thoughts from a Secret Life

by Robert Fulghum

The best-selling author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten returns with a new collection of witty, down-to-earth essays. 400,000 first printing. $350,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Essays, Philosophy, Inspirational, Self Help, Short Stories

228 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Robert Fulghum is an American author, primarily of short essays.

Reviews

[Zak · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5*) A splendid collection of essays, full of wisdom and insight that only experience and a life well-lived can give. On the flip side, I do suspect the reader has to be of a certain age and gone through a bit of life to be able to fully appreciate it. Written in a witty, highly engaging style... I will most definitely be searching out his other books.

[natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

člověk, který se nestydí, být ve svých 80 letech dítětem, bude mít vždy v mé knihovně místo.

[Jessica Coyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Come listen to Grandpa as he tells a bunch of disconnected, self-aggrandizing stories that make him come off as an insufferable windbag! I’m being mean and this wasn’t horrible, but this really just felt like Fulghum had a bunch of unrelated stories sitting around and he threw them in a book without much thought, hoping that some cliched lessons would substitute for a through-line.

[Phoebe Scarborough · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still love Robert Fulghum, but this book didn’t have the same magical appeal as his other two that I’ve read. Some of the stories were very funny and a few were insightful. But a lot of them felt really random and weird. When I finished I wasn’t really sure what I read….

[Huong Man · Rating 4 out of 5]

Một cuốn sách ngắn gọn, dễ hiểu, nhẹ nhàng, và cũng nhiều điều thú vị

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was beautiful, and great fun to read.



Fulghum is a master at showing us particular aspects of a full life, without ever preaching. Not only did he show, he also lets us hear and smell and taste and touch. He made me cry over Beethoven's 9th!



"Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, 'because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in face God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body." (1 Corinthians 12:14-20)



This book is evidence Fulghum adores every part of our body of humanity. This is loving one another as we love ourselves. What joy!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fulghum je láska. Miluju jeho přístup k životu, jeho životní příběhy a to, jak je dokáže popsat. Miluju jak se zamýšlí nás problémy všedních dní. Každá povídka je unikát kterej zahřeje u srdíčka.

[Adelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book around the 8th grade. It was a hard read but I managed through it, and was able to relate to some experiences he talked about. This book is philosophical, and really makes you think about things. I plan on reading it again now that I am older and have a newer perspective on life.

[Veena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad Fulghum book, but have read better ones by him. My favorite chapter in this, is the one where he talks about Greek arranged marriages and their take on the meaning of 'making love'...hint - takes a lifetime!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of like sitting with a wise old man and listening to his stories about life. I've read it twice and will surely do so again.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite Fulghum book, but still worth reading -- one essay at a time at bedtime. He never dips below 4 stars.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book summary is totally accurate. Fulghum has pulled me along from anecdote to anecdote with ease and I have returned often for more. The final account is powerful, in conveying the power of music in troubled times.

I found a treasure here in the annual friends-of-the-library going-out-of-business final sale day take all you can carry that no one else would buy.

In further contemplating this book, I admire Fulghum´s creativity in teaching his various subjects. I do not agree with all of the methods, but imagine that they were all effective.

As I read about his exercise route, I thought ¨I know where that is. It is Queen Anne Hill in Seattle!¨ Fact is, I have been there. Today I remembered finding the official Robert Fulghum contemplation bench overlooking a beautiful lake that I believe was Lake Union.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected the essays to lean more to the side of silliness based on excerpts of Fulghum's writing I've read, but they were often profound. Although it was not as humorous as I expected, it was enjoyable. I found most of the topics interesting. This is a good book to keep for when you only have small spurts of time to read in. You will probably still want to read them in order since the ideas build and converge as the book goes along. It is a "clean" book, but will probably be most enjoy by those who have been adults for quite some time.

[Susan Emmet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learning how to iron shirts, how to get married well, how to conduct when you don't know how, how to handle junk mail, how to inspire students with Musical Chairs and nude drawing, why Jesus needed a barber, how to play when hurting, how to avoid the trap of yes or no...
And so much more.
I hadn't read Fulghum in many years and glad I found this 1993 compendium at the library.
Worth a read. Not preachy. Touching and funny and wise.

[Katrina Palisoc · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and fulfilling field trip to Fulghum's secret life where he has interesting inner conversations with himself - between him and his dummy - and him and his committee. Just like his first two books, this one is full of wit and wisdom that often reflects the wonders of everyday life. A life which meaning is not a puzzle to be solved because anything might happen, and that uncertainty is a blessing in disguise.⁣

[Laurie Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE

I love Robert Fulghum! I first read ‘Kindergarten..’ in college and subsequently devoured anything he has written. I just started reading his books again, 40 years later, decided to reread. It has had a profound impact on the measurement of his words as I reflect on how it shaped me earlier. Fabulous!

[Paul Chlebowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book many years ago and I liked so much I printed an index in the back of the book listing all the interesting tales he shares. They can be enlightening, humorous, thought provoking, or just plain silly....but they are all most enjoyable. This book is subtitled "Second Thoughts from a Secret Life" and that kind of sums it up. If you get the chance, read it.

[Primrosebarks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to think the author enjoyed writing this collection of light-hearted essays as much as I enjoyed reading this humorous book with its clever insights. "The ape and the naked lady" was my favorite, second only to the list of contradictory "wise" sayings. It was like listening to a well-loved family member recounting his stories to the next generation.

[Mommooshka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all of Robert Fulghum's books, I enjoyed his essays on a variety of subjects which are humorous with a touch of wisdom. You can pick them up and read a few or a lot. They lift your sprit and touch your mind.

[Prasanna Dommu · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting read but what exactly is the point of this book again?

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is old, old, old, and some of the advice is clearly outdated. Still, he is a good writer and I enjoyed the book.

[Sharon Goss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Interesting short stories. Some were funny, some were food for thought.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only book that's made me laugh a hundred times (maybe even more)

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Well written, made sense, and fun to read.

[Eliz]

A helpful first book of this new year when the US President has gone mad — stories of goodness.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fulghum is a great storyteller. This book sometimes got a little too philosophical for me, but I enjoyed the stories.

[Stephen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I go crazy and invent a religion, Fulghum will be one of the patron saints, with Bob Ross and Fred Rogers.

[Stella Blanca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Predivna knjiga. Prepuna životnih mudrosti i poruka. Hvala Vam!
Thank you!

[Zuzana Kolouchova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fulghum je můj soukromý objev roku. To, co mě dřív štvalo pro svou sentimentálnost, mě teď fakt baví.

[Angel Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read. Made me laugh, well worth the time.