The Story of Starbucks Saving One Life at a Time

Take a moment to notice the list growing to the left. On it I will list the books I read this year. The latest book on the list is the story of how a self described son of privilege lost it all through a corporate layoff and an affair. He ended up working at Starbucks, seeing the error of his ways and being happy for the first time in his life. I actually liked this book. It's a quick and entertaining read. The main character has some interesting stories to share and the reader feels as though the author really means what he is writing. The book has already been picked up by a movie studio and I'm sure Tom Hanks will nail the role. However, there are some thinks my friend B. and I, in our typical Gen X cynicism, found to be just a little off:

• This guy was a high level marketing exec, I think he took the Starbucks job not just because he needed money, but because he knew he could write a book and then use his connections to get it published. Seems very suspicious to me that he had sold the rights to the book before it was even published.
• How much money is Starbucks getting for this? It's a very pro-Starbucks book. By the end I was thinking maybe I'll head over to Starbucks, get a latte and see if they're hiring.
• If this life rebirth was such a miracle for this guy, why didn't he just stay working at Starbucks rather than write a book to launch him back to his former life?

And with those burning questions, I invite you to read the book or wait until later this year when the movie comes out and let me know what you think. In the meantime, check out this hotbed of Starbucks gossip.