Anything Is Possible: Real-Life Tales and Universal Lessons

Ranging from scenes of an idyllic childhood on the baseball fields of Philadelphia to some of the most deeply tragic events of adult life and relationships, these 12 autobiographical stories offer helpful aphorisms (""action is the antidote to anxiety"") or moral lessons to be mulled over and applied. When touching on such topics as role-modeling, honesty, responsibility, serendipity or forgiveness, Epstein (How to Have More Love in Your Life) relates vividly the thoughts and feelings, often hard-won, from which he derives his ideas. He does not, however, expect that everyone will be able to relate. While trekking through his white middle-class American life, Epstein recognizes its sheltered quality. He admits that, when faced with the Vietnam draft, ""I for the first time could imagine what it must be like to be underprivileged in this country,"" and he muses upon that fact that ""I had never been assaulted before"" when describing his encounter with violent hockey fans. A gifted storyteller, Epstein persuades readers that while his stories are uniquely personal, their lessons are universal. Author tour. (June)