2Do Before I Die: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to the Rest of Your Life

Brief stories about activities one might put on a bucket list -- a "before I die" list. A good book to try and break out of the rut of life and remember the wonder. (Some of the illustrations between chapters--apparently squares on a board games--are illegible in the Kindle edition.)

2Do Before I Die is an excellent book to help you realize what is important to you and what you want to accomplish in your life. It's more than "I Want to See Venice", it's "Throw a Surprise Party for a Friend" or "Start a Family Tradition", helping you to reach out instead of inward. After reading the multiple personal stories included, there is a section in the back of the book which encourages you to begin your own list. I bought the book for myself, then bought additional copies for friends who, like me, were having a 'major birthday' this year. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

I ordered this book from Amazon after browsing through it at a local book store. The design is what first caught my eye--it reminded me of one of those extreme survival guides that have been (are?) so popular. But most of us don't need to know how to survive a plane crash (good luck!) or a skydiving catastrophe (say splat!) or an alien invasion (could they really be much worse than who's running the show down here?) We just need to have a better sense of how to survive the trials and travails of Slogging Through Life in This, the World We Have No Choice But to Inhabit. Not that this book holds the secret to success or happiness or fulfillment. Who or what does? But it does contain a diverse array of beautiful examples of finding all three of those things in the march of moments that make up our lives. From the everyday to the extraordinary, I found it to be a powerful exploration of how to make meaning in a world that too often tries to make our meaning for us--and a powerful reminder of how important it is for all of us to try to do so, if we hope to die with the sense of peace and dignity we all deserve. (Not trying to be morbid, and the book certainly isn't at all--but if the inevitability of death isn't a powerful enough motivator to get us off our couches and into our own lives, what is?) I've always tried to live life on my own terms--sometimes I've succeeded, and sometimes I've failed. But after reading this, I guess I don't feel so alone in the attempt. And I feel even more inspired to keep up the valiant effort. 2 Do Before I Die? Well, among many other things, stop buying books from Amazon and put all of my money into my local booksellers....until that happens, I guess I'll settle for encouraging people to check out this beautiful, inspirational book.

I'm a big fan of things-to-do lists. I already have my "Things To Do Before I Die" list and have been working on it for last few years while having lots of fun. What sets this book apart from lots of similar websites available is the fact that these are real stories by ordinary people. The people like you and me with routine lives, jobs and families and how they managed to do these things. Oh, and I also got lots of ideas to add to my list!!! My philosophy is that if I find one good thing to apply in my life, I consider the time spent to read the book worthwhile. And from this book, I found more than one!!!

I read this book whilst having a lazy morning. And it was a perfect time to read it - actually making time to reflect on my life and what I really want to make of it! This book is very provocative - it's essentially a collection of individual stories, hopes and thoughts, organized into 10 sections, combined with some helpful practical hints and tips. The aim is to enable each reader to begin, or to continue, planning what he/she really wants to achieve - whether that's making a major life change such as having a child, or daring to be spontaneous. I really liked the fact the wide variety of contributions from different age groups - it added to the book's legitimacy and its interest. It's also got some brilliant design which definitely added to the overall appeal of the book. I strongly recommend reading this and it's also a prefect gift for someone - especially if that person is at a critical juncture in his/her life, either positively or negatively. Enjoy!

I actually bought this book after I had already started my "life list." I was going through a period in my life when I was trying to re-discover what I wanted to do with my life, who I was. I thought it might help me make sense of why I wanted to do some of these things so badly, or maybe make some suggestions I wouldn't have thought of. It did both. "2Do Before I Die" has a total of 100 stories/suggestions, split up into 10 different categories: Roots, Explore, Experiment, Challenge, Give, Learn, Express, Love, Work, & Legacy. After each section, there is a "winding road" of questions, such as: "Is there anything from your childhood you feel you should apologize for?" or "Name one thing you wish you had done more of when you were a teenager." (Roots) "If you used a false name, what might it be?" or "Name something you would like to try that would surprise someone you know." (Experiment) I kept a notebook/journal as I read this, answering the questions. It was very insightful & helpful. This book also includes the author's reason for writing this, ways to start, and even a place for you to create your own list in the back. Part journal, part inspiration, part guide, this is a fabulous book you can read over & over, and take away something different each time. As we grow, our answers and lists may change, and "2Do Before I Die" helps you along the way.