The Book of Myself: A Do-It Yourself Autobiography in 20 Questions

by David Marshall, Carl Marshall

Strong is the urge to write one's life story as a keepsake for oneself and one's family. The difficulty is knowing where to start, and then where to go from there. Carl and David Marshall, a grandfather-grandson team, have created a fine and fun do-it-yourself autobiography. The cover of the journal-sized Book of Myself is intended to resemble handmade paper; the inside pages have the yellowed hue of a keepsake found in a musty attic trunk. The book is not especially pretty. But the questions--one per page, divided into early, middle, and late years, and then again into sections concerning family, friends, education, work and responsibilities, and the world--are good enough that it hardly matters. Among the 201 jumping-off points included here are questions concerning childhood toys, crushes, and forbidden exploits; adult embarrassments, betrayals, and achievements; and how one's views change over the years. --Jane Steinberg

New edition published in 2007

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Writing, Journal, Reference, Memoir, Personal Development

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 2, 1997

About the author

My memoir, “IRON BOY: Searching for Freedom Inside a Family Religious Order,” was published on June 15, 2025 in paperback and e-book formats. It’s about freedom, even when the world is stacked against you. My voice and perspective change as I age from 6 years old in 1962 to 18 in 1974, with reflections at 40 in 1995.

I’m a PK (preacher's kid) from Texas, grew up in Chicago, and lived in NYC, Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Denver, Mexico City, Munich, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia before settling back in the Bay Area.

The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography, co-written with my grandpa Carl Marshall, was the first of our journal series, and remains a bestseller to this day. My wife Kate and I co-authored My Life Map; Picture of Me; What I Love About You; What I Love About You, Mom; and The Book of Us. We are grateful our journals have been used by so many people to share their love, tell their stories, connect with family members, and grow personally. Please visit us at marshallbooks dot net.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

...the best book you can read is the one about someone you know. The Book of Myself is a set of Q&As that made it easy for my mother-in-law to record the story of her life. Reading about her life - from early to middle to later life - in the journal she filled out gave me a deeper appreciation of who she is and what she has been through. (www.marshallbooks.net)

[Laura Murphy]

My daughter bought this for me for my 70th birthday. She had no idea of how much some of the questions would trigger my PTSD. Unless you had an almost perfect childhood and life, this book is not for you.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fantastic book. Every person you know should do this. What a great way to leave a part of yourself when you leave this planet.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great way to journal!