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L.I.F.E. Living Intentionally For Excellence

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How to live a life that counts!

In the spirit of Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac, this book delivers power-packed truth in bite-sized pieces with nearly 600 of their most popular one-liners from Twitter. Roughly grouped into the "Eight F's" of Faith, Family, Friendship, Freedom, Finances, Fitness, Following, and Fun through award winning articles that are as deep as the subjects they cover are wide, Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward present life improving truths in a compelling and entertaining way. Interspersed with photographs from four continents and presented with light and colorful graphics, this book's beauty is as pleasing as the education it provides.

190 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2011

33 people are currently reading
1179 people want to read

About the author

Chris Brady

96 books245 followers
Chris Brady is a NY Times best-selling author, speaker, humorist, and businessman. His books include The Bitcoin Bride, Launching a Leadership Revolution (co-authored with Orrin Woodward), PAiLS, Rascal, A Month of Italy, Leadership Lessons from the Age of Fighting Sail, and several other titles on leadership and success. Over 1 million of his books have been sold in six languages.

Chris is CEO and Creative Director of The Life Platform. He is also the executive publisher of Obstacles Press, and one of the founders of All Grace Outreach, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Originally educated as an engineer, Mr. Brady received his BA in Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University and his Master of Science in Manufacturing Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University as a General Motors Fellow, with Master’s Thesis work completed at Toyohashi University in Japan.

Chris is an avid motorized adventurer, world traveler, private pilot, community builder, soccer fan, Christian, and dad.

He also has one of the world's most unique resumes; including experience with a live bug in his ear, walking through a paned-glass window, chickening out from the high-dive in elementary school, destroying the class ant-farm in third grade, losing a spelling bee on the word "use," jack-hammering his foot, and more recently - sinking his snowmobile in a lake.

If you can’t find Chris speaking in front of a live audience, or in his office writing, or in a bookstore, or playing with his children, or on the sideline of a soccer pitch, or in the hills of Tuscany, or out on the lake, try looking in the following Online locations:

www.chrisbrady.com
www.christopherjamesbrady.com
www.twitter.com/rascaltweets
www.facebook.com/rascalnation
www.instagram.com/cbrascal
www.chrisbrady.typepad.com
www.chrisbradylife.com
www.medium.com/@rascaltweets
www.linkedin.com/in/cjbrady
www.amonthofitaly.com
www.launchingaleadershiprevolution.com

Chris has been recognized by INC. Magazine as among the Top 50 Leadership and Management experts. Richtopia listed Chris among the 200 Most Influential Authors in the world. Chris's blog has been included multiple times as a key resource on leadership for executives, managers and CEOs. In 2010 he was awarded the Kettering/GMI Alumni Association Entrepreneurial Achievement Award.

Chris and his wife Terri have four children and live in North Carolina.

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5 stars
741 (68%)
4 stars
184 (16%)
3 stars
104 (9%)
2 stars
31 (2%)
1 star
29 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Richard Kroll.
1 review
February 6, 2012
Whether you sit down and read this book from cover to cover as a Leadership Development gem or use it as a Coffee Table book for everyone to read the short golden nuggets of wisdom and enjoy the incredible photography, LIFE is a wonderful combination of wisdom, leadership development, art, and pleasurable easy reading!
Profile Image for Carl Buchanan.
2 reviews
September 19, 2012
Wow this is a very informative book on how to live life for not just self but to live intentionally and correctly to impact others. How to get your eyes off your self and onto people in need. Most of the time caring goes un-recognized. If this is the case continue to care and make the difference. We need to go the extra mile all the time. Especially in all we do. If we change our self we have a chance to effectively change our world.
Profile Image for Jonathan.
93 reviews10 followers
March 11, 2013
Another great book by Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady.

It took me a while to really get into this one. I think it was the format. There are many "chapters" that are usually only one to four pages long. Between these are a page or two that contain Chris and Orrin's tweets.

I think I wanted a book into which I could immerse myself, but the frequent change in format proved a series of speed bumps.

This turns out to be a good thing! One lesson repeated often by the Policy Council members of LIFE is that reading without application of what you "learn" is really just a pass-time. True scholars and leaders take time to ponder on what they read, identify the one or two principles most needing application or improvement in their own life, and get to work to improve those things.

Tim Marks is a fantastic example of this, and I recommend his book Voyage of a Viking.

By the end of this book I had fallen in love with the format. It makes it very applicable to daily devotionals, use as a thought provoking coffee table book, or a "text book" for personal study. The reader can pat himself on the back during the chapters that he is living the principles well, and slow down, plan, and implement on those sections where he needs improvement.

Another aspect of LIFE that I love is that this book never deviates from the mission of its authors. Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady have dedicated their lives and resources to helping others live better lives. They focus on the 8 F's of LIFE: Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, Following (leadership), Freedom, Friends, and Fun.

I love each of these areas of focus, and I have a special passion for Freedom. One of the reasons that God put me on Earth is to move the cause of liberty through education. I have gone back to school, traveled to the other side of the globe, participated in different levels of politics, currently serve as Precinct Committeeman and State Committeeman, started and participated in study groups focused on the US Constitution, and more.

I have found NOTHING as effective as the products and culture of LIFE at helping me educate myself and others on the principles of liberty. It's amazing to see some of my rough edges whittle away so that I can better present the message in my heart without offending others. It's awesome to see others' eyes open to the war being waged against our political, financial, and spiritual freedoms.

And the most amazing part is that instead of just feeling anger and frustration about the erosion of our liberty, this curriculum also helps us know what to do about it!

The message of liberty runs through this book like a healthy vein of gold. The reader doesn't have to dig long before running back into the message of freedom. It even ends with that message.

The last one page "chapter" in this book, entitled Answering Liberty's Distress Signal, explains that success is deliberate. It is not something that happens to others more fortunate than us. Success is there for anyone willing to dream big and chase that dream without making excuses or giving up when things get tough.

But financial success isn't enough. My several attempts to sum up the last two paragraphs of this section have fallen short, so I'll end with the words of these wise men:

"Personal success is not the only impact of living for excellence. Today's society stands at a crossroads. People realize that the corporate world is not the "cradle-to-grave" guarantee it was in the decades following World War II; however, so many have been trained only to work for someone else, focusing on security and not opportunity. What happens to a society in which a high percentage of people have been trained to seek a "secure job," but few such jobs are available? Society runs to Big Brother government, seeking the security that government cannot provide. History is filled with examples of governments stifling the entrepreneurial spirit, choking the productive engine of a society's advancement, and sounding the death knell of numberous civilizations, in an attempt to "help the helpless" citizens. North America stands at a crossroads where it either runs to more and more government, (and in the process surrenders its freedom and future,) or returns to its roots, providing freedom and justice for any dreamer who chooses to prosper.

"It's time to send a wake up call to the entrepreneurial spirits across North America. Where are the entrepreneurs, the leaders, and the dreamers who will step to the plate and swing for the fences - win or lose? The time for talking is over and the time for action is upon us. These are historic times with historic ramifications. Just as the founding fathers did in the 18th century, let's pledge our fortunes, our lives, and our sacred honor in this noble cause to restore the American Dream. Liberty has sent out its distress signal. Let's answer the call. Let's Live Intentionally for Excellence. A life so lived just might be the spark that sets ablaze a new movement for freedom and justice."
Profile Image for Chuck Cova.
252 reviews5 followers
July 24, 2017
Easily the single best coffee table book ever produced. 'nuff said. Get one. Read it. Enjoy it. Share it.
695 reviews1 follower
November 24, 2022
DNF - more of a coffee table book with lots of leadership quotes.
1,129 reviews3 followers
May 19, 2022
Parts good, probably great for people who want to be a leader.
Profile Image for John.
59 reviews
July 15, 2011
Most of us would like to live full lives and some of us are lucky enough to achieve excellence in some area but few of us actually Live Intentionally For Excellence. I have had the privilege of reading some of the chapters in this book as blogs and heard the concepts in talks. To have all of these compiled, arranged in an appropriate order, with clever and wise quotes added, and including gorgeous pictures is a rare treat. This book is the primer for a hope-filled, and world-changing, L.I.F.E.
6 reviews
November 2, 2012
More than a pretty coffee table book, this book is beautiful and filled with nuggets for LIFE! I love reading it again and again. I also love gifting copies of this book to young people for graduation and as birthday and Christmas gifts for my family and friends. Amazing book filled with wisdom!
5 reviews
January 31, 2013
This is one I take in small bites often. This collection of great one liners and short stories always lifts me up every time. Thinking about buying a second copy just so I can hang each page on my office wall!
1 review
February 22, 2013
This is a nice book to open up some very interesting conversations with your friends. You can open just about any page and read some of the quotes or short blog-like stories in a few minutes. It is really an amazing collection of inspiring information from one of my favorite authors.
164 reviews1 follower
November 3, 2014
So many truths on each page. I will keep coming back to this book again and again. The format is arranged as a compilation of powerful articles, allowing the reader to pick it up in short spurts. Fits nicely into a busy lifestyle and looks great as a feature coffee table book.
Profile Image for Beth Ober.
7 reviews3 followers
February 13, 2012
The Life Book is not only a beautiful book to look at but has so much wisdom and leadership quotes! A great book for any office or business to have on display!
Profile Image for Georgia.
27 reviews9 followers
July 7, 2012


Great book ! I loan this out often .
Profile Image for Brianna Allen.
9 reviews3 followers
February 24, 2012
Now THIS is something that EVERYONE NEEDS!!! It's little tid bits here and there that are phenomenal!! This should be on every coffee table in America! No joke!
Profile Image for Tim.
42 reviews19 followers
March 17, 2012
Their books are as uplifting as their talks! Chris Brady autographed our copy.
Profile Image for Kelly.
2 reviews1 follower
July 15, 2012
I am reading this right now and it is very inspirational
Profile Image for Connie.
2 reviews
August 21, 2012
Fantastic! I started rereading this book last night. Great coffee table book.
3 reviews2 followers
September 10, 2012
Love the layout of the book - you can pick it up at any time and glean wisdom for wherever you open the book!
18 reviews1 follower
November 1, 2012
An amazing book, with amazing illustrations touching on 8 areas that are designed to help people to live the lives they've always wanted!
Profile Image for Colleen.
3 reviews7 followers
April 9, 2013
I pick it up all the time for the little tidbits of wonderful thinking.
Profile Image for Jaime Shaw.
21 reviews1 follower
May 3, 2013
Love the pictures and paragraphs, best book to display on the coffee table, well written, heart felt all the way thru
Profile Image for Adam.
1 review
August 30, 2012
Very informative and inspirational! Loved all the quotes and stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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