The Gift is a book I did not even have on my list. A friend of mine lent it to me to read it because she told me that she liked it very much and could not wait to read the second one. Let me tell you that I finished it in an hour and a half, not because it was wonderful but because the writing of the book was so simple that an 8-year-old child could easily read it. Maybe it's my fault that I don't read Greek books that much. Maybe it's my fault that when I read Greek books, I read books with a "heavier" vocabulary. Maybe, maybe, maybe. The Gift for me, is not a book of self-improvement. It is a small notebook, whether you say it or not, it is a diary, with all the thoughts of Xenakis.
Its cover magnetizes from the beginning while the summary on its back cover is able to make you take the book and want to read it. Personally, I had not read a book by this particular publisher. Nevertheless, in terms of editing and the cover, a very good job has been done.
This book consists of 102 short stories by Xenakis. Through personal experiences, incidents, and events that marked his life, the author in a simple everyday way, tries to pass his own message. A message that mainly concerns the way one sees and lives one's life. In many parts of the book, the author emphasizes that life itself is a gift and we must live it. I had almost no stories left in my mind and I kept only words and pieces of what I had left.
From the introduction of the book, the author makes it known that we will read stories from life. Stories that, although written with love and passion, did not convince all of them. Through these stories, Xenakis refers to the relationship that one should have with his parents, with his children, and in general with his whole family. Personal and friendly relationships between people. Balance of personal and professional life. Reckless use of technology. How to succeed in life but also to share things with those around you. Stories about Greece and the Greek soul. For bullying. Stories with rules, expectations but also love. Stories found in other self-improvement books with more persuasion and understanding.
Although the book tries to convey to the reader a message of optimism, thoughts, and reflections on how we "transfer" our lives from here and there, I found it a copy of other similar books, utopian, impractical, and certainly inferior to its original sources. I don't know what to tell you, maybe it's me and I lost the essence somewhere. Disappointed, I will not lie! I do not understand the grief that has been done with this book. I was inclined to expressions and a finger shakes that I do not agree at all.