Accidental Lessons
By David W. Berner
Strategic Book Publishing
February 2009
174pp

Here’s the blurb from the publisher:

Berner had it all – a very successful career as a broadcast journalist and a wonderful family life. But his career hits a bump and he finds himself out of work. Life then delivers more trouble – his father becomes terminally ill and his marriage falls apart. In the middle of painful personal times, this respected journalist makes a decision that changes his life forever.

Berner takes a job in a public school outside Chicago where the students are representations of society’s “throw-aways.” What he learns from them teaches him invaluable lessons about himself, who he is, and why he became a journalist in the first place – to seek out the truth and give voice to those who need their story told.

The Short of It:

A positive, uplifting story. Crisply written, this one can be read in one sitting. You won’t want to put it down.

The Rest of It:

I can be a bit critical of memoirs. Many are overly done and poorly written. Not the case here. Berner presents his story in a positive, upbeat way without sugar-coating his personal downfalls. There’s a nice balance between his professional and personal life. Berner’s writing is tight and crisp…clean in a way. As I was reading, I could clearly hear his voice and his passion for teaching was evident. It’s very inspiring. Educators, journalists, mothers and fathers…this is a book that anyone can enjoy.

To read more about the author, click here to visit his website.

To listen to the author read a passage from Accidental Lessons, click here. He has a great voice but be warned, there is some graphic language so turn your speakers down a bit.

Source: This book was sent to me by the author, David W. Berner.