About the Author

Tony Brown is a Principal of the Public Consulting Group founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986.  Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Tony is a graduate of North Carolina State and Duke Universities.  He resides in a small town in North Carolina with his wife and three school-age children.

Acknowledgement

Anna Quindlen needs no introduction, certainly none from me. However, for those readers whose attentions are confined to the sports pages, her op-ed column in the New York Times won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992.  She is the author of 12 books, one of which was made into a movie featuring Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger.  She currently writes a column in Newsweek.

I was given her book, A Short Guide to a Happy Life, by a friend of mine; a 60-year old gentleman, who has survived cancer and (I think) works for the CIA as an undercover agent.  I read it on a commuter flight from Washington to Charlotte.

I've been told that the book was originally written as a commencement speech.  I recommend it to everyone.  I don't particularly have any issues with Ms. Quindlen's message, but for some reason I was moved to write a response - a reaction to her themes.

The words on the following pages entitled A Happy Guide to a Short Life were not intended to do anything other than continue the spiritual and emotional debate in my mind around several concepts, including happiness, service, gratitude and love.

The more I thought about my reaction to Ms. Quindlen's book, the more I started talking to my friends - Dan, Terry, Mom, Mike, Victor, Deb, Jasper, Bonnie, Miles, Ms. Rimmer, Peta, Rebecca, Michael and a few others.  From those loving conversations and communications, this little book was produced.  Thanks to all who participated and cared.

Finally, and importantly, I used Ms. Quindlen's book as a paragraph-by-paragraph framework to draft the original text of this book.  Then I salted in ideas and concepts to illuminate my points and poke fun.  There is no attempt to disguise my source of motivation.

Respectfully, I thank you, Ms. Anna Quindlen.

Also by Tony Brown

For Children
Farmer Lloyd & Grannie's Big Farm in the Mountains (2000)

Lyrics
Forever Starts Today
She Ain't You
My Pretty Little Girl
So Many Questions

 

Contact:
TonyBrown@HappyGuidetoaShortLife.com