Thursday, June 21, 2007

61. Exit the Rainmaker


by Jonathan Coleman
Rated: ★★★★½

A true story of a college president and a government consultant who one day just walks away from everything, job, wife, friends and disappears leaving a few cryptic notes behind.

The book goes into the events that led up to his taking this drastic step (no crimes, no affairs) and the effect it had on all the people he left behind. It also tells how he built another life for himself that was truer to his real self. The real self that he, rather unfairly I thought, concealed from his wife and friends. How can you punish people for failing to understand you and what you want from life if you never let on what it is you really want. While I had little sympathy for his wife it bothered me when he just walked away and refused to ever explain himself to her.

In spite of it being slow in parts I am finding it interesting because I think that all of us have entertained at least brief thoughts of throwing up our hands and walking away from their real life.