After reading “Hillbilly Elegy” and “Go Back to America” and “Minor Feelings,” I simply have to read this one. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel complete, lol.

Anyway, this book is basically a story about a self-made man. However, the author delves deep into the systemic discrimination and individual discrimination that often underlie such a narrative. I think the author is extremely thoughtful in recognizing and verbalizing that success is not solely determined by an individual's efforts. In fact, it's about 50% you, but also highly dependent on chances, such as people giving you a shot.

Unlike “Hillbilly Elegy,” which seems to imply that if one person can achieve success, anyone else can too, this book acknowledges those unspoken rules and unfair advantages that exist in society. At the same time, it also emphasizes the importance of grit and perseverance. Additionally, the author's devotion toward his son is truly touching and adds another layer of depth to the story.

Overall, this book offers a more nuanced and comprehensive perspective on the concept of success and the various factors that contribute to it. It makes for a thought-provoking read that challenges our assumptions and forces us to consider the complex interplay between individual agency and social structures.

I haven't read this book in an extremely long time, perhaps around 10 or 11 years ago. I read it for an English assignment. It was an open paper assignment where one had to choose a nonfiction book and develop a thesis based on what was read.

I don't recall the specific stipulations regarding what we had to look for in nonfiction. However, I immediately chose this one as I've always been intrigued by others' lives portrayed through memoir. There's something fascinating about determining what is or isn't an accurate portrayal, taking their word when it comes to something dramatic, traumatic, detrimental, or life-changing, and deciding if I believe them.

Now, since it has been such a long time, I'll admit that there's a great deal that I don't remember. Nevertheless, I do remember the emotions I felt. I remember the sense of remorse, the sympathy I had, and the desire to assist a person in need or pain. I remember the desperation that Chris Gardner expressed regarding his struggle to find employment, and I remember how significantly his childhood experiences, often negative, shaped his outlook on life and the direction he wished to pursue.

Several moments stand out vividly in my memory: when he was raped as a young man, when he was staying in a homeless shelter with his son, and the moment he had his breakthrough with the internship. If nothing else, this book did give me hope and proved that hard work - like true, deep, continuous, and gritty hard work - can take you anywhere and everywhere.

I no longer possess this book, but I think I'll pick it up again sometime soon.

Don't get me wrong. There were indeed some thoroughly enjoyable parts in this book. And let's be honest, Freddie, though a deplorable SOB, was a character of epic proportions.

I loved the movie too much to like this book, however. I had this whole image of Chris that I imagined reading and learning more about, but it didn't give me that "inspired" feeling. Maybe it was just Will Smith's portrayal in the movie that influenced me, but I think I'm going to have a deep dislike for the editor of the book. I'm still indecisive at the moment.

This isn't your typical rags to riches story, though. I truly believe that Chris Gardener is a truly remarkable individual for overcoming so many obstacles. I'd love to meet him. Even though there were some vulgar moments, this dude is the real deal.

I just really don't understand the necessity to elaborate on certain graphic elements. I truly believe it was irresponsible editing and management by the publisher.

Still, the book is inspiring in many ways. It shows the power of perseverance and the ability to overcome adversity. It makes you realize that no matter how difficult life gets, there is always hope and a way forward.

I watched this movie in elementary school, and I vividly remember being deeply inspired by this story.

I made numerous attempts to read the book, but I could never bring myself to get through it. Partly, it was because the first few chapters were so harrowing, filled with heavy descriptions of domestic violence and alcoholism.

This time around, the read was much more enjoyable as I could envision all the neighborhoods described in San Francisco. His story also enhanced my empathy for the homeless, especially in San Francisco's Tenderloin area. I have a strong desire to learn more about the soup kitchens and homeless hotels mentioned in the book.

After reading this, I am feeling truly inspired. It still amazes me that Gardner overcame a tumultuous childhood, toxic romantic relationships, and homelessness as a single parent to become an extremely successful stockbroker and entrepreneur. I have great respect for his determination in learning how to become a stockbroker despite having no experience, no MBA, and no college degree, and for taking care of his son as a single dad in a country where childcare and rent are prohibitively expensive.

I believe my biggest takeaway from Gardner's story is the significance of being principled and resolute. He acts in accordance with his values, and it clearly yields positive results.

I was truly disappointed to discover that his journey to tell had a lot more to do with his quest for sex.

It seemed that his motives were far from pure, and this realization left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I had expected something more meaningful and profound from his experience, but instead, it was overshadowed by his base desires.

This revelation made me question the authenticity of his story and wonder if there was any real value in it.

It was a disheartening moment that made me reevaluate my initial interest in his journey.

I couldn't help but feel let down by his actions and the direction his story had taken.

It served as a reminder that sometimes, our expectations can be shattered, and we have to face the harsh reality of a situation.

Despite my disappointment, I will try to look beyond this aspect and see if there are any other lessons or insights that can be gained from his journey.

Maybe there is still some hidden gem within the chaos that I have yet to discover.

**Title: My Experience Reading "The Pursuit of Happyness" Biography**

Disclaimer: This is a personal experiment, not actually a review. It's just my experience and thoughts while I read the book. A biography of reading the biography :) Also, massive spoilers.

Reading One:

Finally, I'm reading this book, and it's the first edition published in May 2006, with the cover stating "soon to be a motion picture starring Will Smith". I remember watching the movie probably in 2007 and having goosebumps all over. I'm hoping reading the book will be just as fascinating. I'm hyped up. I even made a mental note to watch the movie again for the third time. The first few chapters really push one to go down the nostalgia lane of their own. But then suddenly, he starts telling about some of the darkest things, which were quite a shock to me as I knew nothing about them. They were skipped in the movie. I also put on some Miles Davis music in the background while reading the early period of his life to set the mood the author was describing. Not being from that period and culture, I had never heard that music before. That jazz trumpet is quite something. It gave me the blues, not that I was having the blues in my life anyway. These incidents that I call dark were mainly the ones he describes about his early teens. Shell shocked at some of those, I continued to look for the best parts of the book that gave me the feeling I got when I saw the movie. However, I had to put down the book for a couple of weeks for unrelated reasons.

Reading Two:

When I restarted my reading, I found the story taking a turn. It turns from Chris the child victim of circumstances to the amazing guy that he was. But the writing seemed full of a narcissistic portrayal of himself. There was no humbleness to the achievements. I guess it was a turn-off for me personally. Some people may find it extremely attractive. I kept the book down for a few more days. I just wanted to get to the part of the story where the movie was. I was running out of patience reading two-thirds of the book and still not at the part that I liked. I realized I was being choosy. To understand a person's life, I should actually really understand what the character (in this case, a real person) of the story was. The only problem was that the real person was just not cutting it for me at this point. I thought I would just have to read on. A person has to evolve from time to time, and everyone does, willingly or unwillingly, for the good or worse. Sometimes it's not good or bad; sometimes it is what it is. I also realized that passing down judgment (without seeing the whole picture) on someone else was easier. I should stop doing that. We all go through phases of life when we do things we are proud of and things we are not. Often, especially in the youthful periods of life, people get this feeling that they are amazing and can do whatever they want (this feeling may or may not die off). I think Chris was going through the same phase of life.

Reading Three:

I picked up the book again. (Meanwhile, I had to pay a fine at the library from where I loaned the book as I forgot about it and didn't renew it.) Towards this final section of the book, it gets to where the movie began. I loved some of this final section of the book. It's where the victim finally wins. I think I had a few tears of happiness when he finally finds the house with rosebushes. When he and Chris Jr. finally get to know that they have a home. They are no longer homeless. They don't have to carry all their belongings with them all the time. Yeah, the best part of the book when Chris & Chris Jr. are happy together. The story after that, of him going from having enough money to rent a house to becoming a millionaire, sadly, didn't resonate with me much.

Anyhow, I'm disappointed in how different the book is from the movie. But I'm delighted that reading it makes me feel that I can do anything. It gives a little bit of a happy perspective.

My parallel and relevant musings:

The pursuit of happiness: Everyone is in a pursuit of happiness; anyone you will ever meet. No matter how much happiness you have, you will always find the need for more. Lucky are the few who can define what happiness means to them. Luckier are those who are content with what they have and don't feel the need for more. One would argue that there may be nothing if there was no pursuit. However, as it seems, there will always be a pursuit, of one thing or another, of someone or other, of one feeling or another. Chris in this book was looking for happiness, like everyone else. His definition of happiness changed like anyone else's. As a child, he defined and found happiness in being loved, having a father figure, having a mom. Overall, love and stability were happiness. As he grew older, his definition and pursuit aligned with that of becoming the best jazz player. Then he defined it for some time in drugs, he viewed it in money. He viewed it in having a friend. He viewed it in sex, not just sex, but hot passionate sex. He then viewed it in supporting his family, then in bringing up his family. He then viewed it in helping those who helped him. One can say that he found happiness in helping others pursue their pursuits. This is evident in his philanthropic deeds. Just like Chris, me and you, each one of us, have phases of happiness. Some people find their happiness in achieving some goal. The astronauts of Apollo 1 gave their life in trying to explore space. The risk of dying vs. happiness on goal completion. Is that pursuit worth dying for? Happiness never comes alone. Happiness always has a price to pay. It's just like magic; to get something, you have to give something. There is nothing free. There is pain, struggle, and suffering for a moment of happiness. Maybe the Indian hermits and sages of the old wise age, with their lengthy beards and calm visage, had figured it out. Do nothing, expect nothing, and be happy. Don't pursue happiness, just be happy. Easier said than done. Isn't it?

While at Delia’s parents’ house, we watched some Oprah with Delia’s mom. I have a soft spot for bootstraps stories, so I got hooked on listening to Chris Gardner as a guest on her show. I thought *maybe* I wanted to see the movie, but of course, I had to read the book first. So we picked it up, and I devoured it in one night. It wasn't bad... a good read indeed. I always “like” hearing stories of men who’ve been raped, not because it's pleasant but because it's a reality that so few people even acknowledge as possible.

What really stood out for me was the way he boasted about later donating a large amount of money to the shelter that fed him when he was homeless. But he never bragged or even mentioned whether or not he bothered to pay back the streetwalkers who daily gave him food money, often handing $5 bills to his cute stroller-bound son. After that, he said, no one could disrespect a whore in front of him. But he never said anything about even *trying* to repay them.
Maybe he did, and it just wasn't mentioned in the book. Maybe he just couldn't find the same whores due to their transient lifestyle or the possibility that they were killed or imprisoned. Who knows? All I know is that it became clear towards the end of the book that Chris Gardner may have been homeless, but he wasn't penniless. He was saving money even while they were living on the streets. These women fed him with their earnings while he actually *did* have money for food.
I have nothing against being frugal while you're building up the money you need to maintain a home. And I guess I don't really have anything against a man accepting gifts of money from streetwalkers when they willingly provided it, especially since they were really giving it to his child. But I was annoyed by the lack of a heartwarming repayment story for those whores who donated a significant portion of their income (considering the small amounts of money these women charge to turn tricks on the street and the amount of risk involved in making that money).
In the end, it seemed to me that Chris Gardner has a hidden story that's not really told by the book. It has less to do with homelessness and professional ambition and more to do with saving money, even if it means putting yourself and your child in harm's way, stealing money, and being gifted money by people who are actually less fortunate than you. It was a good read, but I was left with the feeling that Chris Gardner is a bit of an ass.

This is a memoir, and yet, in some strange way, the movie turned out to be better?

It's quite astonishing that nearly the last one-third of the book seems to be the entire basis of the movie.

Chris Gardner devotes a significant amount of his memoir to details of his childhood in a broken home, his emerging sexuality, and his affair, rather than focusing more intensively on his actual experience of homelessness while raising his toddler son.

Although the subject matter is undeniably heavy, this memoir unfortunately lacks the necessary emotion to truly give it the weight and impact it requires.

To be honest, I didn't have a favorable opinion of Chris. He presents himself in the memoir as a complete jerk, and as a result, I had absolutely no sympathy for him.

However, it's truly remarkable how Will Smith managed to bring life and heart to this otherwise flavorless narrative.

Even the thought of this is rather strange. It makes one wonder how a movie could so effectively breathe life into a story that seemed to lack vitality on the printed page.

Perhaps it's a testament to the power of visual storytelling and the ability of a talented actor to bring a character to life in a way that the written word sometimes struggles to achieve.

Nonetheless, it's an interesting contrast between the memoir and the movie, and it leaves one pondering the different ways in which a story can be told and received.

I really liked this movie.

One day, while I was at the library searching for something interesting to read, I came across the book based on this movie. Out of curiosity, I checked it out.

However, to my great disappointment, it was terrible! The language used in the book was so bad that it was hard to understand. The content was also extremely horrible and inappropriate.

I tried my best to keep reading, but I finally had to put it down. I was appalled because the movie was quite clean and enjoyable, but the book was completely the opposite.

Therefore, I do NOT recommend anyone to read this book. It is a waste of time and may even have a negative impact on your mind.

I cannot express how deeply disappointed I was in this book!

I had seen the movie shortly after it was released and found it to be inspirational and even heartwarming. However, as soon as I started reading this book, I knew that the author's writing style would be a challenge to follow.

The author has a poetic way of writing, but he tends to jump around a great deal in both the timeline and perspective. Due to this writing style, and mostly because of the awful language and graphic details of his childhood and adulthood, I found myself having to skim a lot.

All in all, I probably only read about 20 full pages of the book, flipping through the rest. I was extremely disappointed in his tales of infidelity and his seeming lack of remorse for it. This is not someone I would look up to or want to emulate, whereas the Will Smith depiction in the movie made me feel the opposite.

I imagine I'm not the only one who read this expecting to feel all warm and fuzzy, only to be left thinking, "!!?! What the what!?!??!" I do not recommend this book to anyone!

The story is really exciting.

It grabs your attention from the very beginning and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

The characters are well-developed and you can't help but root for them.

The plot is full of twists and turns that you never see coming.

It's a real page-turner that you won't be able to put down.

Whether you're a fan of action, adventure, or mystery, this story has something for everyone.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great read.

You won't be disappointed!

When I first watched the movie, I was completely overcome by a flood of emotions. It truly felt as if something inside me had been awakened. Will Smith is an incredibly talented actor, and the movie was simply outstanding!

So, when I discovered that there was a book about it, and not just any book, but an Autobiography, I knew without a doubt that I had to read the accounts of this remarkable Chris Gardner (by the way, he is a stock broker, ha!).

The book begins with him sharing two events that had a profound and life-altering impact on him. One was an incident involving a red Ferrari, and the second was a single phrase spoken to him by his mother, Miss Bettye Jean Gardner. Just those two events changed his life forever, and what a remarkable life it has been!

He then delves into his childhood, vividly描绘 the abuse he endured at the hands of his stepfather and the heartbreak of growing up never knowing his real father. To say that Chris Gardner made mistakes would be a vast understatement. However, one thing that I truly appreciate and can personally relate to is the fact that his moral compass always pointed in the right direction.

His unwavering ability to focus entirely on one thing gave him a significant advantage in everything he undertook. He dedicated himself wholeheartedly to his pursuits.

The Pursuit of Happyness (with a y) provides us with a brutally honest and realistic account of what "Hustle" truly means. If he had given up at any point, it would have been the end, not only for him but also for his precious little boy. It was an absolute pleasure reading this book, one of the few autobiographies that I have truly cherished. I would highly recommend it to anyone embarking on a new business venture or involved in anything related to finance.