Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons from Over the Rainbow

by Peter Guzzardi

In the bestselling tradition of Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, a wise and inspiring collection of life lessons drawn from one of the most beloved movies of all time: The Wizard of Oz

After a lifetime in book publishing, Peter Guzzardi had edited a remarkable group of diverse authors, from Stephen Hawking to Deepak Chopra, from Carol Burnett to Douglas Adams, from Byron Katie to Geneen Roth. Yet everything he’d learned from working with them felt oddly familiar. One day it suddenly became clear: all that wisdom had its roots in a film he’d watched as a child, “The Wizard of Oz.”

That revelation led to this book. It’s a jewel box of insights drawn from Dorothy’s heroic journey from helpless in Kansas to powerful in Oz, then back to Kansas, transformed by what she found along the way. In Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons From Over the Rainbow, we discover what the most-watched film in history has to teach us. With that knowledge we become free to embark on our own journey, having activated the power to direct our lives that we possessed all along.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Classics

176 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2019

Reviews

[Crystal Zavala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emeralds of Oz is part memoir and part self-help. I really liked the simplicity of it. Most of his ideas are not new to me, but are great reminders. There are times when you just want a gentle reminder to take care of yourself, but you don't want a high level of intensity. This books is perfect for that.

In Emeralds of Oz, Peter Guzzardi shares his Nine Emeralds of Wisdom that he takes from the Wizard of Oz, both book and film. The Nine Emeralds are: listen to your longing, see the world as if for the first time, celebrate yourself -and others- for showing up, choose compassion, you already possess what you desire most, face what you fear, pull back the curtain and see things as they really are, you've got the power, and you've had it all along, and there's no place like home.

It is obvious that Peter Guzzardi did extensive research into both The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book and The Wizard of Oz, the film. He researched L. Frank Baum's intentions. And why The Wizard of Oz the most watched film of all time?

The hardcover edition is lovely with its deckled edges and green glitter cover pages.

[Dana Creighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was a pleasure! What a unique way to dissect this classic.

[Neerja · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and short book to read. This book discusses some very important life lessons which is very beautifully outlined by the author. The author has very cleverly compared the life situations of an individual with the story of the Wizard of Oz.

The author takes us on a journey with Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz which makes it enjoyable to read. The way he discusses each topic in a brief manner makes it a fast read. I completed reading this book in few hours.

I love reading this book and I think it was essential for me read a book of such a positive impact. According to me everyone should give this book a chance and read it, I am sure they will not be disappointed.

It was a true joy and wonderful experience for me knowing and viewing the story of Dorothy from a different point of view and relating her story to the life situations and learning from it.

I would recommend this book for sure irrespective of any age group.

[Chantel Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book thinking it was a light-hearted self help book based on The Wizard of Oz, but the format felt more like an essay (“In this chapter we will show how...”). There is even a bibliography at the end. The large section of facts/trivia from the movie at the end also seemed out of place. That said, I enjoyed the various “Emeralds of Wisdom” and takeaways from the story.

[Kristin Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. I listened quickly as my Hoopla check-out was about to expire. I'm not familiar enough with the movie to make all the connections that were described

i heard Peter Guzzardi on a Hopewriters Tuesday Teaching

[Lisa Pool · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheerful little book about the hidden meaning of The Wizard of Oz. It’s more of a self-help book and I found it fairly superficial with lots of exclamation points throughout!!!!

[Christine Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read The Wizard of Oz and seen the movie numerous times, (I even had lunch with a Munchkin!) but I've never thought about the lessons the story teaches us. I really enjoyed this book, even though I'm not into philosophy or "new age" ideas. It takes you step by step along Dorothy's journey, and imparts "aha moments" all along the way. Entertaining and thought-provoking. (And I love the emerald end-papers!)

[Terrible Book Club · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it's mostly inoffensive, it's full of repeated ideas that could have been condensed. If you want some generic self help aphorisms through the lens of a specific movie, this might be for you.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book to start summer vacation after the 2020-2021 school year! I loved how Guzzardi found so many important life lessons to share with readers who are familiar with the film, The Wizard of Oz, but even if you are not familiar with the film, the life lessons are spot on! It is difficult to choose one that is my favorite but the one that perhaps sums up this school year the best is #13-Showing up is at least half the battle. This was so true for EVERYONE this past school year. I absolutely recommend this book to parents, my high school friends and my middle school friends. Thanks to Mickey for sharing this book with me-you know that I LOVED the end papers!

[Theresa Hildebrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise to find this gem of a book. As a long time fan of the 1939 MGM production of the Wizard of Oz and Frank L. Baum, I dove right in. Guzzardi gleans pearls of wisdom from the actions of our beloved cast. Lessons of compassion and understanding are hidden just beneath the surface. MGM dedicated their classic movie to the young at heart and to those who faithfully return to it again and again. This book is for anyone who loves the book as much as the movie and who is eager to spend even more time with it.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter’s ability to capture the true experience of anxiety while identifying positive ways to encourage self betterment truly makes this book a joy to read. His addition of small tidbits of life advice brings out the deeper meaning and practical usage of the 9 emeralds that encapsulate the novel. Peter’s stories of his usage of the emeralds and his experiences as a child deliver a sense genuine interest in helping make the world a better place, one person at a time. This self-help/comedy/memoir is enjoyable, informative, and funny!

[Karen Briscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wizard of Oz is a classic heroine's journey and Guzzardi shares life lessons from over the rainbow that are powerful. Truly the emeralds contained within are inspiration and insights that transform lives! Karen Briscoe, author and podcast 5 Minute Success

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating little book full of life lessons from MGM's most successful film, The Wizard of Oz. I especially like life lesson numbers 24 & 39. Especially number 39. It is a good life lesson to live by.

39. When the sky blackens with Winged Monkeys, RUN!

Overall a very enjoyable book!

[Teresa Keever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big wisdom, in small but beautiful package.

[Carol Conover · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was the perfect little book to read after Finding Dorothy.

[Jana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the movie trivia more than the life lessons.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, quirky, and delightful, this book documents all the life lessons portrayed in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz movie.

[Peg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn’t inspired by his advice for life based on “your emeralds.” Did enjoy the lengthy appendix with history of film and cast.

[Jady Babin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
2 for the life lessons
3 fir the trivia in the back

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part was the green glittery paper used inside the cover!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love The Wizard of Oz, and I like how this book extracts the life lesson gems from that great movie.

[Tim Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. Sort of reminds me of Tao of Pooh. Good insights.

[Samantha Bazely · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are deep into the land of Oz in various ways. This was a nice light read that brought to life a few seemingly basic - but typically forgotten - ways of thinking. Overall I liked it!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, easy read with losts of thought provoking wisdom!

[Meena Bosshard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wizard of Oz has always held a special place in my heart and my Dad’s. He was the one who gifted me this book and there were a lot of good life lessons throughout.

Like always, I tend to find self help books to become repetitive after some time but nonetheless I enjoyed this one. Very quick read

[Amanda Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a different take on life and philosophy, but who hasn't seen the Wizard of Oz? Takes a while to get to the breakdown of the book/movie, but this makes me want to read the original. He definitely did his research!!!