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J. David Lewis

Goodreads Author

Born

in Tazewell, Tennessee, The United States

Website

https://jdavidlewis.com/

Genre

Memoir, History, Biography

Member Since

June 2025

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/j_david_lewis

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David Lewis describes himself as the product from a long line of storytellers. His friends and financial planning clients remember him for stories he used to illustrate advice and make it memorable. Indeed, the expression that became the cornerstone of his firm’s marketing, “there is more to money than money,” was conceived in a staff meeting story while his team was discussing ways to help a clients understand the complexity of a decision they needed to make.

When David wrote financial newsletters, he explained current events in terms of historical and economics stories that gave them context.

When David talks about his photographs, he is more likely to describe the emotions he felt when the visions for them entered his mind than the techn ...more

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What’s the best thing about being a writer?

J. David Lewis For me, the best thing about being a writer—the act of writing—is the way it helps me explain complex ideas to myself. Most often, I start to write be…moreFor me, the best thing about being a writer—the act of writing—is the way it helps me explain complex ideas to myself. Most often, I start to write because something interests me, like this question. I read it yesterday and have been thinking about it since. Before I started typing, I didn’t know what my answer would be. I knew it was somewhere in my mind but didn’t know how to articulate it. As I start putting words into written sentences, my answer is emerging.

For instance, the question that started my writing what became A NEW TRUE TO ME was “What were your grandparents like?” Within ten minutes I had written:

“I start this by saying that I never really knew any of my grandparents well, except through the stories I was told. Whatever I say is, therefore, colored from interpretations by the people who told the stories and my memories of their telling, which, of course, is subject to me enhancing the readers’ impressions of me. I have studied my grandparents’ ancestral roots, principally through Ancestry.com, Geni.com, and other internet resources. My research has spanned many years. I have family documents. It is very likely that my writing here will have errors. I intend to someday hire professional assistance to verify and correct my research. So, here we go.”

That paragraph has not changed since that day. It became the guiding principle for the book, when I didn’t know I was writing a book. “You start with one very good sentence” is often attributed to Mark Twain. (It is not found in his verified writings.) I guess this is the way I resolve things in my mind.

The answers to the next two questions that became chapters began with similar sentiments. As the process evolved, writing enlightened me on much of my life’s breadth and grew into a book to be published.

So, in writing this answer to "What's the best thing about being a writer?," I have explained something to myself more deeply than I have thought about before. I like this aspect of writing a great deal(less)

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How do you get inspired to write?

J. David Lewis Inspiration has never seemed to be an issue. I simple see things or connections I want to write about. When I was a financial advisor, with a blog, I …moreInspiration has never seemed to be an issue. I simple see things or connections I want to write about. When I was a financial advisor, with a blog, I follow news media. Regularly, I sensed that clients and other followers would be interested in my perspective on current events, partially economic events. Generally, I could express myself in five to seven hundred words and publish it on the blog within a day. Readership was good and there were frequent comments in my daily life from readers who learned a perspective on the world that made life more comfortable.

I thought that was what I would do with stories about my life, written for myself as a tool for understanding them. The project told me it was something more robust.(less)

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J. David Lewis’s books

Average rating: 5.0 · 1 rating · 1 review · 1 distinct work

A New True to Me: The Foundation for How I Got Here

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 3 editions

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J. is Currently Reading

J. is currently reading

Forest Shadows: A Frontier Spy Novel

by Christopher Fultz

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Mar 08, 2026 06:16AM

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Lucky Jim

by Kingsley Amis

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Jan 10, 2026 11:19AM

J. is currently reading

Uncle Tom's Cabin: The Original 1852 Unabridged And Complete Edition (A Harriet Beecher Stowe Classics)

by Harriet Beecher Stowe

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Jun 18, 2025 06:31AM

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J. did not finish When Brilliance and Madness Collide by Ruth Manning (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Sep 13, 2026 05:26AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of 1964 by Paul McCartney. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — 1964 by Paul McCartney <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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J. did not finish On the Abolition of All Political Parties by Simone Weil	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 13, 2026 05:23AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of On the Abolition of All Political Parties by Simone Weil. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — On the Abolition of All Political Parties by Simone Weil <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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J. has read The Essential Questions: Interview Your Family to Uncover Stories and Bridge Generations by Elizabeth Keating (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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J. rated a book it was amazing The Original Warm Fuzzy Tale (The Original Warm Fuzzy Tale Books Book 1) by Claude M. Steiner	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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J. rated a book really liked it Shifting Margins: From Fear and Exclusion Toward Love and Belonging by Kenneth Carder	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Ken is a longtime friend who has accomplished a great deal in his life. His journey is like a bookend for my own memoir, A New True to Me. His begins from a state of poverty, while mine begins from a state of privilege. We look at the same class dist ...more
Sep 12, 2026 10:35AM · 1 like · like · see review