Be prepared. A manic joy is in the air.
With so much material from which to choose, Mr. Jones has organized his chapters by putting together delightful commentary on people whose natures or accomplishments just seem to make them good company. Some groupings are obvious: sports figures, professional communicators, entertainers. Others are more intuitive: people with shared or overlapping visions of how to conduct one’s self effectively, honestly, and ethically in a complex world. The many resting places the plan provides are welcome, as each vignette bears abundant wisdom that needs to be absorbed.
Throughout the book, Mr. Jones treats serious issues like a man on a tightrope hovering between extreme delicacy and laugh-out-loud astonishment. He positions himself as a fellow who can’t quite believe he has managed to find himself in the company — and with the friendship — of the many leaders whose contributions to the “cando” part of our culture he celebrates.
He’s thankful for the situation in which he finds himself. His own successes in writing and other ventures are a result of the kind of risk-taking that many of his subjects’ successes illustrate.
While “Show Me” applauds the values and discovered truths of people from many walks of life, readers might find the author category particularly interesting. Represented here are Randy Wayne White, Sue Monk Kidd and Janet Evanovich. Show business celebrities include Pat Benatar, Tommy Tune, Shirley Jones, Eddy Mekka and Vanessa Williams.
Mr. Jones is alert to honor the role of supportive spouses, especially those who have had life successes independent of their loving relationships. Glenn Campbell’s wife Kim is a fine example here.
Women? No one will accuse Mr. Jones of under-appreciating them. His examples of focused, determined success include Peggy Post, Susan C. Bennet (the voice of Siri), Cynthia Rhodes (“Dirty Dancing,” “Flashdance”), Kathy Griffin, Suze Orman, Erin Brockovich and Barbara Corcoran.
Because the author is a media person, there’s a special place in his heart for those who bring us news, opinion, advice and dependably engaging personalities. Say hello to Hoda Kotb, Willard Scott, Sean Hannity, Candice Olson, Peter Thomas, Bob Orr and Neal Conan.
“Show Me” is a great gift book, the gift being Randall Kenneth Jones’s honestly uneasy celebration of his own life and those of many others. The fortune cookie inserts help: “You always get a second chance to make a first impression” (Robert Green Jr., dynamic greeter at Florida Gulf Coast University’s main information booth) and “Every single person you meet knows something you don’t know” (Ms. Kotb). But they are just a few of the hangers in Mr. Jones’s spacious closet.
While the appeal of this book depends in good part on unabashed name-dropping (just like this review), it has the staying power of a vital friendship rooted in values, choices and accomplishments revealed and respected. ¦
— Phil Jason, Ph. D., United States Naval Academy professor emeritus of English, is a poet, critic and freelance writer with 20 books to his credit, including several studies of war literature and a creative writing text.
Leave a Reply