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(Extra)Ordinary: More Inspirational Stories of Everyday People
“This world needs books like these right now—the inspirational people within these pages.” - Kimberly Morand, blogger
"When everything in life goes wrong, what keeps people going? This wonderful collection of answers tells how some conquered the near impossible." - Frank Litsky, retired editor and reporter, The New York Times
Burned on 100 percent of his body as a young boy, John O’Leary was given a 1 percent chance of survival. Thirty years later, he is a bestselling author, nationally known speaker, beloved husband, and dedicated father.
Once controlled by addiction, Todd Crandell is now an addiction counselor—and a world-class Ironman triathlete.
Born with no arms or legs, Nick Vujicic fought back from the brink of suicide to become a faith-driven motivational speaker admired by people around the world.
These are just three of the inspiring lives featured in (Extra) More Inspirational Stories of Everyday People —tales of individuals who started out as “ordinary” but have proven to be anything but.
Each of the people featured in (Extra)Ordinary reminds us of the depth of human potential and calls us to find our own strength to make our mark on the world around us. (Extra)Ordinary opens our eyes to the power that rests in each and every person!
"I love this book. If you are looking for a book to inspire you, get yourself a copy. You will not be disappointed." - J. Bronder Book Reviews
"When everything in life goes wrong, what keeps people going? This wonderful collection of answers tells how some conquered the near impossible." - Frank Litsky, retired editor and reporter, The New York Times
Burned on 100 percent of his body as a young boy, John O’Leary was given a 1 percent chance of survival. Thirty years later, he is a bestselling author, nationally known speaker, beloved husband, and dedicated father.
Once controlled by addiction, Todd Crandell is now an addiction counselor—and a world-class Ironman triathlete.
Born with no arms or legs, Nick Vujicic fought back from the brink of suicide to become a faith-driven motivational speaker admired by people around the world.
These are just three of the inspiring lives featured in (Extra) More Inspirational Stories of Everyday People —tales of individuals who started out as “ordinary” but have proven to be anything but.
Each of the people featured in (Extra)Ordinary reminds us of the depth of human potential and calls us to find our own strength to make our mark on the world around us. (Extra)Ordinary opens our eyes to the power that rests in each and every person!
"I love this book. If you are looking for a book to inspire you, get yourself a copy. You will not be disappointed." - J. Bronder Book Reviews
160 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2017
7 people want to read
About the author
Keith Maginn
4 books10 followersKeith Maginn feels writing to help and inspire others is his life's purpose. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, the youngest of four children, Keith attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, as an Evans Scholar. After earning his bachelor's degree in sociology, he relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee, to work for AmeriCorps and Habitat for Humanity.
After spending ten years in Tennessee, Keith returned to Cincinnati, where he enjoys being surrounded by family and friends. Writing is his passion, and he also likes sports, meditation, yoga, reading and live music. In addition to writing, Keith currently flies around the world as a flight attendant.
Keith released TURNING THIS THING AROUND, an inspiring self-help memoir of overcoming personal struggles, in December 2010. In January 2013, he self-published GOODWILL TOUR: PAYING IT FORWARD, detailing a 3,000-mile philanthropic pay-it-forward road trip through the southeastern United States. (EXTRA)ORDINARY: INSPIRATIONAL STORIES OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE, released by KiCam Projects in August 2016, tells seven inspirational stories of people the author knows personally. A spin-off of book three, (EXTRA)ORDINARY: MORE INSPIRATIONAL STORIES OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE, highlights ten remarkable individuals from all over the world and was released in October 2017. (All four books are available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com or at keithmaginn.com.)
Email: maginnka@gmail.com
Website: keithmaginn.com
Twitter: @Keith_Maginn
After spending ten years in Tennessee, Keith returned to Cincinnati, where he enjoys being surrounded by family and friends. Writing is his passion, and he also likes sports, meditation, yoga, reading and live music. In addition to writing, Keith currently flies around the world as a flight attendant.
Keith released TURNING THIS THING AROUND, an inspiring self-help memoir of overcoming personal struggles, in December 2010. In January 2013, he self-published GOODWILL TOUR: PAYING IT FORWARD, detailing a 3,000-mile philanthropic pay-it-forward road trip through the southeastern United States. (EXTRA)ORDINARY: INSPIRATIONAL STORIES OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE, released by KiCam Projects in August 2016, tells seven inspirational stories of people the author knows personally. A spin-off of book three, (EXTRA)ORDINARY: MORE INSPIRATIONAL STORIES OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE, highlights ten remarkable individuals from all over the world and was released in October 2017. (All four books are available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com or at keithmaginn.com.)
Email: maginnka@gmail.com
Website: keithmaginn.com
Twitter: @Keith_Maginn
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 1, 2017
I found this book a highly fascinating read, with ten different stories of people who have faced hardship and seemingly insurmountable odds, such as the young boy who suffered almost 100% burns, and the child born without arms or legs. In all of these cases, the individual has gone on to achieve great things, many of them in motivational speaking. These stories are highly inspiring and show just how resilient the human body and mind is, and how much can be overcome.
With ten individual stories, it's easy to read this book a story (or chapter) at a time, however I rushed through this in just one evening, as I found it fascinating! The only thing I didn't like about these stories was the focus on religion and God - as an atheist this was a slight negative for me, as it's difficult to relate to the stories when there is such focus on the idea of these people being helped and supported on their journey by a God. Other than that, I highly recommend this book!
With ten individual stories, it's easy to read this book a story (or chapter) at a time, however I rushed through this in just one evening, as I found it fascinating! The only thing I didn't like about these stories was the focus on religion and God - as an atheist this was a slight negative for me, as it's difficult to relate to the stories when there is such focus on the idea of these people being helped and supported on their journey by a God. Other than that, I highly recommend this book!
August 17, 2017
After reading two novels depicting terrible deprived human behavior it was time for a positive read. I found that in Keith Maginn's (Extra)Ordinary: More Inspirational Stories of Everyday People.
Maginn shares stories of ten men and women who have faced an array of extraordinary challenges - abuse, addiction, abandonment, physical deformities, severe burns, homelessness, health issues. Each profile details not only how that person overcame their situation but what they have contributed to others through inspiration and deeds.
I was deeply stirred by Mick; a driving force in doing what can't be done. Using technology and a worldwide network of, "...high intelligent, if eccentric, 'crazies'..." Mick has overseen solutions for physical challenges faced by others. First with an EyeWriter enabling those with paralysis to communicate with eye movement and later taking a 3-D printer to war torn Sudan to fabricate "robohands" for young amputees.
These ten "Everyday People" have written books, become motivational speakers and established websites to share their stories and inspirations. Links are given for readers to learn more about the subjects and their organizations.
Another reviewer was troubled by religious references in many of the features. While they attribute faith and a believe in God to their recovery this is only one element to their stories - yet, one important to them that would be dishonest to overlooked.
I would challenge the title of this book as I don't believe any of these were ever "Everyday People". There is no question that what they have faced, overcome and accomplished is (Extra)Ordinary and inspirational.
Maginn shares stories of ten men and women who have faced an array of extraordinary challenges - abuse, addiction, abandonment, physical deformities, severe burns, homelessness, health issues. Each profile details not only how that person overcame their situation but what they have contributed to others through inspiration and deeds.
I was deeply stirred by Mick; a driving force in doing what can't be done. Using technology and a worldwide network of, "...high intelligent, if eccentric, 'crazies'..." Mick has overseen solutions for physical challenges faced by others. First with an EyeWriter enabling those with paralysis to communicate with eye movement and later taking a 3-D printer to war torn Sudan to fabricate "robohands" for young amputees.
These ten "Everyday People" have written books, become motivational speakers and established websites to share their stories and inspirations. Links are given for readers to learn more about the subjects and their organizations.
Another reviewer was troubled by religious references in many of the features. While they attribute faith and a believe in God to their recovery this is only one element to their stories - yet, one important to them that would be dishonest to overlooked.
I would challenge the title of this book as I don't believe any of these were ever "Everyday People". There is no question that what they have faced, overcome and accomplished is (Extra)Ordinary and inspirational.
October 10, 2017
We all face challenges every day. They may be small like missing a work deadline or they can be major like facing cancer treatments. But how we face those challenges shows a lot about us as a person. You miss a deadline, what do you do? Do you take a breath, plan better for the next one, or break down in a panic attack? This is just a simple hiccup in a normal day. What would you do if you were burned all over your body? Born without arms and legs? Been abused? Facing serious addiction?
This book is a sequel of ten people that have faced overwhelming odds. Instead of letting their situations dictate how they should react, they chose not to give up on life or feel sorry for themselves. They used their experiences to grow and to help others. They rose from their situations and have become stronger people.
I love reading stories like these. Everyone has a bad day and some days feel like the worst one we are going through. But do you curl up in a ball and snivel, ok, yes I do. But after that, do you pick yourself up and go on? Do you learn from that experience? What about using it to help encourage others?
I love this book. If you are looking for a book to inspire you, get yourself a copy, you will not be disappointed.
I received (Extra)Ordinary: More Inspirational Stories of Everyday People from KiCam Projects for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
This book is a sequel of ten people that have faced overwhelming odds. Instead of letting their situations dictate how they should react, they chose not to give up on life or feel sorry for themselves. They used their experiences to grow and to help others. They rose from their situations and have become stronger people.
I love reading stories like these. Everyone has a bad day and some days feel like the worst one we are going through. But do you curl up in a ball and snivel, ok, yes I do. But after that, do you pick yourself up and go on? Do you learn from that experience? What about using it to help encourage others?
I love this book. If you are looking for a book to inspire you, get yourself a copy, you will not be disappointed.
I received (Extra)Ordinary: More Inspirational Stories of Everyday People from KiCam Projects for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
December 6, 2017
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review!
I'll start this review by saying that I liked the premise behind the collection. As the tagline states, these are inspirational stories of everyday people. I appreciate that this is the topic of the book, the idea of bringing attention to the people who may get overlooked on a daily basis. I did enjoy hearing about some of these people who have been through major events and somehow still came out positive on the other side of it.
However, the focus of each story got lost on me as it the timeline of each narrative jumped around. It seemed as though there was no outline when writing the 'essay' about each person. We would be told something about the person who was the focus of the story and a few paragraphs later it would repeat itself as if that fact hadn't just been shared with the reader. I just think it could have used better continuity throughout each person's tale.
I'll start this review by saying that I liked the premise behind the collection. As the tagline states, these are inspirational stories of everyday people. I appreciate that this is the topic of the book, the idea of bringing attention to the people who may get overlooked on a daily basis. I did enjoy hearing about some of these people who have been through major events and somehow still came out positive on the other side of it.
However, the focus of each story got lost on me as it the timeline of each narrative jumped around. It seemed as though there was no outline when writing the 'essay' about each person. We would be told something about the person who was the focus of the story and a few paragraphs later it would repeat itself as if that fact hadn't just been shared with the reader. I just think it could have used better continuity throughout each person's tale.
October 4, 2017
Received this book from Net Galley for my honest review.
I thought this book was going to be something new and something different about extraordinary people and what they went through. I did get bits and pieces of that but it all was just a bunch of regurgitated stuff from each of their own books and then at the end.......if you want to donate here is their website. I felt so disconnected and wasn't as impressed. There were 2 stories in the books that really sucked me in but the rest of it was just slow and boring.
I thought this book was going to be something new and something different about extraordinary people and what they went through. I did get bits and pieces of that but it all was just a bunch of regurgitated stuff from each of their own books and then at the end.......if you want to donate here is their website. I felt so disconnected and wasn't as impressed. There were 2 stories in the books that really sucked me in but the rest of it was just slow and boring.
February 12, 2018
This was a very inspiring and positive book. It reminded me to focus on the blessings in life and to be thankful for them. The author shares the tale of 10 people that have faced impossible challenges and how they overcame their situations. It also highlighted their contribution to others through their handling of these difficulties. I highly recommend this book which shows us all what life can become no matter what lot in life we are dealt.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews