Helpful Score: 7
"The Pursuit of Happyness" is a great inspirational story. It's a quick, entertaining, easy read. The language is colorful and Chris's life is graphic. If you read the book after seeing the movie, you may be a bit surprised. The 2006 movie focuses mainly upon Gardner's homelessness and struggle within the world of stocks, that portion of his life, however poignant and powerful, is but a small section of the book. Overall,"The Pursuit of Happyness" is a true journey from rock bottom to success.
Helpful Score: 2
The book gives you much more of the story than the movie. Very interestng.
Helpful Score: 2
An amazing story about a man who refused to give up and dedicated his life to making it work for he and his son. It is amazing what a positive spirit can accomplish in life.
Helpful Score: 1
A great story; much MUCH more compelling than the film!
Helpful Score: 1
Different from the movie. Enjoyed the book, much more informative. What a struggle he went through and what an awesome man, father, and human being he turned out to be.
Helpful Score: 1
I wasn't sure where this was going halfway through, but then the pace really picked up. An excellent memoir told as a "rags-to-riches" story. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie!
Helpful Score: 1
The movie looks great, so I was hoping this would be a really engaging read, but I found it a bit boring.
Helpful Score: 1
It truly is a rags to riches story and was an enjoyable read.
Helpful Score: 1
It is a bit different than the movie. The book begins and develops his childhood for the reader in greater detail than the movie did. I found it interesting and well written.
Better than the movie, this book goes into great detail about the struggles of Chris Gardner and his son. Based on a true story.
I thought this book was decent. I was certainly routing for a devoted dad!! It was really difficult to not feel empathy for the man trying so hard and constantly being kicked while he was down. All the ingredients of a great David and Goliath tale.
Great book. Glad I didn't read the book before I saw the movie. Much grittier and deeper than the movie but just as enjoyable. It's amazing what this author had to overcome to get to where he is today.
Look up 'rags to riches' in the dictionary and you'll find Chris Gardner's photo. Chris tells of his extremely difficult childhood circumstances but through it all maintains a keen desire to get out of that life and make a new one for himself. This is a very compelling story told in a very straight forward manner. I highly recommend it.
excellent true story
This book devled deeply into Chris Gardner's childhood and gave much more background than the movie did regarding his life. I loved this book, what a great guy!!
Interesting book about Chris Gardner. Not at all like the movie. The movie starts at around page 200 of the book and was clearly embellished. The book is more about Chris's past life and how he coped with poverty. I like his style and it feels very "real" to me as far as memoirs go.
Good Book way better then the movie.
This is a great book and an easy read.
Great story before or after the movie. Photos included. Motivation and positive attitude.
very good
Driven narrative, many good points to ponder how to live by.
This book is very different from the movie. It is worth reading!
A very good book, a little different than the movie, it told more of his life as a child that the movie did not.
The movie, which I saw in theaters, reminded me in many ways of my own life (seeing myself in the author's son, not the author himself) - parental abuse, homelessness, and overcoming adversity. I thought the book would perhaps be a not-so-graphic way to convey this touching story to my own children when they were ready to learn about and discuss such matters.
Unfortunately, the book is far more graphic than the movie; as with so many other real stories, it was "sanitized" for the masses. I would not want my children to read this book until well into adulthood, simply on the basis of language and sexual situations. I'm not saying it's a bad book, or not worth reading - if you have a strong stomach - just very, very disappointing as it will not be able to fulfill the purpose for which I bought it (thankfully second-hand).
Please pardon me while I go vomit.
Unfortunately, the book is far more graphic than the movie; as with so many other real stories, it was "sanitized" for the masses. I would not want my children to read this book until well into adulthood, simply on the basis of language and sexual situations. I'm not saying it's a bad book, or not worth reading - if you have a strong stomach - just very, very disappointing as it will not be able to fulfill the purpose for which I bought it (thankfully second-hand).
Please pardon me while I go vomit.
I saw the movie and wanted to know more about how got where he was. The book gives much more detail and covers his whole life from childhood. The movie cast him as only a hero in a bad situation and to some extent a victim. The book makes him a whole human being and I like that much better. It just makes more sense to me. It is a good read, especially if you like those "overcomming adversity" type stories that I am such a sucker for.
I was disappointed in this book. Perhaps the movie is better
Amazing true story!
"A truimphant, modern-day Horatio Alger story--based on the life" of Chris Gardner, "The Pursuit of Happyness is a memoir that will have you rooting for the underdog as it stirs you to pursue your own dreams." It was interesting to read, but I wouldn't put him on my list of heroes.
I thought this book was ten times better than the movie....and the movie was pretty good!
Wow- lots more information about his life than the movie. Kind of fell flat in the end- the movie is really enough that you need to know.
