Book Review: The Christmas List

Summary:
James Kier looked back and forth between the newspaper headline and the photograph of himself, not sure if he should laugh or call his attorney. It was the same photograph the Tribune had used a couple of years earlier when they featured him on the front page of the business section. While the photograph was the same, the headlines could not have been more different. not many people get to read their own obituary.

LOCAL REAL ESTATE MOGUL DIES IN AUTOMOBILE CRASH

Utah real estate developer James Kier was pronounced dead after his car collided with a concrete pylon on southbound I-80. Authorities believe Keir may have had a heart attack prior to swerving off the road. Kier was the president of the Kier Company, one of the West's largest real estate development firms. He was known as a fierce, oftentimes ruthless, businessman. He once said "If you want to make friends, join a book club. If you want to make money, go into business. Only a fool confuses the two." Kier is survived by his son, James Kier II, and his wife, Sara.

Kier put the paper down. He had no idea what the article was about to set in motion.

My Thoughts:
This was an extremely quick read and a good Christmas spirit story. It is very much like Dickens A Christmas Carol, so it was pretty predictable. However it was an interesting book that I couldn't put down. I really like the idea of a character not only reading his own obituary (which are usually always positive) but that he saw a message board on the newspapers site under the article about his death (which was brutally honest and even cruel). Kier tries to make amends with people that he has viciously hurt and ruined their lives through his ruthless business practices. He really starts out to change his image, but throughout the process of restitution, he changes himself and wants to do what is right because he is ashamed and wants to be a good person. It's very intriguing to think about what people will say about me when I die, and a good reminder of how I should be living my life right now, and of the true meaning of Christmas.