An Awesome Book

Is there such a thing as an unimaginative child (or a practical one, for that matter)? As a child I seem to recall that all my friends and classmates were imaginative and creative, and my child and his friends are just the same in that way. Lego is universally popular, as is playing "pretend", and so on.

Obviously these traits are present in children to different degrees, but I think the point of this book is to emphasize that the lack of imagination and creativity in adults and its replacement by banality and commercialism is the product of socialization and choice.

> Imagine the story was written in the same manner, but in praise of physical coordination/agility instead

We'd probably be offended if, in that case, the uncoordinated people were drawn as obese (although the same effect could be achieved by simply displaying them as immobile). What's interesting, though, is that the book actually could be written that way. Children are far more active than adults and, because physical coordination and agility can be improved through practice, are often faster and more nimble than adults (I'm speaking anecdotally here, but if you visit a playground and watch a kid evade their parent and the point is made.)

Just as imagination and creativity are often lost or suppressed on the journey to adulthood, many people also shed their love of physical activity, with unfortunate results.

Perhaps the point, ultimately, is that there's lots we can learn from children, and much that is in them innately that we can help nourish.

I am quite sure the educational environment in the 19th century was _way_ less keen on letting imagination run wild than it is now (e.g. montessori's work was disruptive but looks "normal" nowadays), but we have Peter Pan and the Neverending Story only in the 20th.

I think you've conjured the word 'ordinary' out of the air and made up an example that supports your made up word. This book like all children's books is a way for parents to put something into their child's mind. In this case it is a book that tells children and reminds parents that dreaming is great.

The 'ordinary' people you feel are getting portrayed so badly aren't 'unable' to dream or disadvantaged in any way they just don't dream of very impressive things.

Nobody gave him permission to be a children's book author. He decided to just go for it. He wrote the book, published it himself, and put it for sale on his website. He didn't seek a book deal. He bootstrapped.

He didn't buy advertising. He got in his car and drove around the country doing readings at schools, libraries, and hospitals, handing out free copies to lots of kids. He made a product that people wanted, put it in their hands, and those people evangelized the product for him. It reminds me of AirBnB's talk at Startup School this year, how they traveled from door to door, meeting their users face to face to promote their business.

I don't think he wrote the book with the hopes of selling a buttload of units, but rather because he wanted his son, and other kids, to read it. It's a happy accident that somehow he ended up selling a buttload of units. For every book he sells, he gives a copy away for free through the Awesome World Foundation.

i find people like this extremely unnerving. this kind of oceanic "awesomeness" enthusiasm comes across as someone struggling to convince themselves that just the opposite isn't the case.

I've tried encouraging my children to remember and write down their dreams, and my impression (they might disagree!) is that the ones which struck them the most are those which were unlike reality in some small, but important way; not those which were simply bizarre.

He can at least count me down for one copy. Just bought it can't wait to show it to my little dreamer.

They are well made and a good purchase for anybody has has or knows kids.

Clever.

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