The Sand Bucket List: Lessons for Living Life and Facing Death

by Brad Fischer

At the age of forty-six, Brad Fischer was diagnosed with stage 4 gastric cancer. He could handle the chemotherapy and its side effects. What he wasn’t prepared for was everything he felt. Faced with a life expectancy of twelve months, Brad realized all the things in life he had never skydiving, running a marathon, or riding in a hot air balloon. But as the months passed, Brad realized these weren’t things he needed to do. In his debut memoir, Brad dispels the notion of finding joy and purpose in life by creating “a bucket list,” a collection of arbitrary adventures to be completed once in a lifetime. Instead, he provides a practical but uplifting “a sand bucket list”—essential ingredients that should be practiced as frequently and thoroughly as possible. Brad’s tales of playing Shit Purse as a kid, walking into the wrong house as a college student, or roller skating with another guy as an adult are not only stories that give us a peek into his personality and sense of humor, but are also surprisingly meaningful anecdotes for anyone suffering or wanting to find peace, comfort, and joy in their lives. This book isn’t about dying, nor a story about fighting cancer. It’s a book about life. It’s a book about living.

232 pages, Paperback

Published December 9, 2022

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh…made me cry…and made me think about things differently. Well written easy to read exceptional book.

[Renee Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once and a while a book comes along that deserves 5+ stars. This is one of them. Along with Essentialism by Greg McKeown, The Sand Bucket List will forever remain one of my go-to guidance books. What impresses me the most of this book is the way Fischer was able to simultaneously share his cancer journey and life journey while seamlessly dropping powerful nuggets of wisdom. In many chapters, I found myself laughing and crying all on the same page. While I purchased a copy of this book, I've already given it away. I need to buy another one in order to reread it with my favorite pen in hand. This book is destined to be dog-eared, highlighted, and filled with sticky tabs.

This book is perfect for:
someone going through cancer
someone parenting children or teenagers
someone who cares about prioritizing time and effort
someone who needs a reminder that there are incredible people out there
someone who needs hope.

Thank you, Brad Fischer, for giving this book to the world.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I teach with the author's wife and after seeing a student carry the book around, with it's appealing cover, I decided to give the book a try. I was pleasantly surprised at the writing prowess of Brad Fischer, who is a former math teacher and current educational technology specialist. I found the book uplifting and thought-provoking. I think it helps that the author and I are near the same age, so many of his fears/worries would be similar to my own in his situation. One note of caution is that the back cover says "This book isn't about dying, nor a story about fighting cancer. It's a book about living." While the majority of the book is about living, there is still a good amount about fighting cancer. This didn't bother me, in fact I found his chronological approach to his journey with cancer, adding vignettes and advice at each step, an effective literary device. My mother, however, who lost my father to cancer several years ago, found the book a bit unsettling as it brought back many memories for her.

[Wendy Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few months ago, I had a chance to meet this author at a library book talk. It was clear, everyone in the room could find elements of story to which they could relate. That's the great thing about story - I recognize myself in your story and you recognize yourself in mine.

Brad received a terminal cancer diagnosis at age 46. He captured funny stories from his past to convey to his beloved daughters the lessons he hoped they might learn from this crazy life we're given. Although the book was written with this fine-tuned lens, the lessons are such that anyone can derive meaning and insight from them. The excellent writing sucks you into these life lessons with ease.

[Morgan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely inspiring read from start to finish. Fischer does an incredible job weaving life lessons learned through stories from his lifetime and his journey living with cancer. His thoughts are honest and vulnerable, eliciting both laughter and tears; from explaining the game of “sh*t purse” he invented as a child to sharing a goodbye letter to his daughters any parent will empathize with. This book will leave you thinking about the legacy we all leave and how we can all make the most of these precious days we have to live our lives.

[Bill Rader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had a great mentorship/friendship with the author and expected this to be an amazing experience, and it was even better than I had hoped. I continue to pray for Brad's health and that he continues to be where he should be, inspiring and helping others.

[Sherry Boles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional!!!