Books : Life's Greatest Lessons : Excerpts

Preface

A Brief History of
Life's Greatest Lessons

First Edition
This book was originally published in 1992 under the title 20 Things I Want My Kids to Know. As a father and a teacher, I was aiming my message at the young people who constantly surrounded me -- my three sons, who were then in their twenties and in the early career stage of life, the young adults I was teaching in a university, and my high-school students. I looked upon all of them as "my kids" and wanted to put into writing what I'd been trying to teach them for many years.

The book did surprisingly well for one written by a first-time, no-name author. It sold out of its first printing and developed quite a following through that phenomenon known as word of mouth. I was pleased that my message was reaching so many people and growing in popularity. Then the publisher let it go out of print.

Second Edition
Within a few months I began receiving letters and phone calls from people all over the country urging me to put the book back into print. I was particularly pleased that so many of them were leaders in the business community. They suggested that I remove "kids" from the title because they saw the book as a timeless message for people of all ages. So inspired, I republished the book on my own in 1997. I changed the title to Life's Greatest Lessons, rewrote the introduction, and made small changes throughout the text. I was surprised at what happened. More people than I could have ever imagined bought the book, read it, and then passed it on to their friends, family members, and colleagues. Many of them came back several times for additional copies. Then schools and other organizations began buying it in bulk, and special orders from bookstores started coming in. The word was out, and I was delighted to share my message with an increasing number of readers.

Third Edition
I updated the text and cover again in 2000. The growth in popularity of my little self-published book once again continued to surprise and gratify me. Letters, phone calls, and e-mails from students (fifth grade through college) and adults of all ages came in steadily. My simple, old-fashioned message about human goodness seemed to be touching people. At about the same time, the Character Education movement, which had begun in the early 1990s, was growing significantly, and I began receiving invitations to speak not only to teachers, parents, and students but also to businesses, service organizations, and churches. Good character -- and the book -- were making strong comebacks. As a result, my life began changing dramatically. It had become a daily challenge to balance my teaching, speaking, and book-selling obligations. At this time, all of the books were still being shipped out of our home. The garage served as a warehouse, and my office was the packing room.

The New Edition
In August of 2000, Life's Greatest Lessons won a national award for self-published books from Writer's Digest magazine. It was selected as Inspirational Book of the Year. That brought offers from book distributors, literary agents, wholesalers, and publishers. At the same time, an increasing number of my readers were urging me to give the book more exposure and wider distribution. Something had to change, but I wasn't sure which direction to move in. What I needed most was expert advice.

My prayers were answered when Joe Durepos came along. Joe's a literary agent in the Chicago area, and he was in the right place at the right time. Integrity is something that always shines through, and I knew immediately that I could trust Joe to lead me in the right direction. He did. He led me to Simon & Schuster, the people who published The Book of Virtues, The Road Less Traveled, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, among others. Simply put, I liked the people there, had faith in them, loved their enthusiasm for my message, and felt honored to become one of their authors.

A Special Wish
As I travel and speak throughout the United States and in other countries I find wholehearted agreement on one of my major points -- that good character is the bedrock of a good society. In reading this book, I hope you'll become part of the growing movement to return us to a society known for its civility, virtues, and old-fashioned goodness. May you become a powerful partner in passing on the great lessons of life.

Hal Urban
January 2003