The book was great; everything as described by Michael Smerconish. The work shows how much can be said in so few words. I am enjoying the book.

As with MOST of the books and a lot of the music I purchase, I "heard it on NPR!" I mean, really!! Listening to the awesome interviews of authors and musicians discussing their work is the very best way to find out about them. I presented a copy of the Memoir book to each of several friends at dinner recently, and they immediately responded EXACTLY the way I expected and hoped -- they started reading aloud as they paged through the book. My moment was complete!! I, of course, have a copy for myself and plan to continue to enjoy it. The other reaction that folks have is to try to write their OWN six-word memoirs. Really great idea!!! Kudos to those who compiled the book!!

I am a writer myself, when I get a moment I grab this book. I read a few six word memoirs, get a few chuckles and I can put it down without worrying if I'll forget what I was reading. It's perfect for a flight or
when you have some time for yourself.

In November 2006, Smith Magazine challenged readers to write their memoirs in six words--no more, no less. One thousand of the submissions are printed here, with more to be found on their website. Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure is not an easy book to review, so don't think of this as an actual review; think of it a challenge. Here is a sampling of six-word memoirs from the book to provide inspiration.

Some writers tell their stories with humor and self-deprecation:

>> Woman Seeks Men--High Pain Threshold.
>> My first concert: Zappa. Explains everything.
>> Aging late bloomer yearns for do-over.

As you would expect, there are many bitter or bittersweet references to relationships gone bad:

>> Girlfriend is pregnant, my husband said.
>> Just in: boyfriend's gay. Merry Christmas.
>> Let's just be friends, she said.

Some lucky people sent memoirs that radiate contentment.

>> Alone at home, cat on lap.
>> Hope my obituary spells "debonair" correctly.
>> Wasn't born a redhead; fixed that.

There is the contingent who describe themselves without judgment:

>> Gave commencement address, became sex columnist.
>> Mormon economist marries feminist. Worlds collide.
>> Still lost on road less traveled.

And last but not least, the philosophers who distill life experience into a greater truth:

>> Palindromic novels fall apart halfway through.
>> Cheese is the essence of life.
>> Wandering imagination opens doors to paradise.

We're all busy people, each with a story to tell. C'mon, what's yours?

Linda Bulger, 2008

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, and I loaned it to my daughter's 8th Grade English teacher who promptly assigned the entire class to write their own 6-word memoirs. It's fun to write a few of your own, and you could also apply the 6-word description to a vacation or other event. My memoir? Life improves with age and experience.

I read it and thought about so many of the memoirs. Some really told a story and some left you wondering, but it is well worth the reading time.

I read a review of this book in The New Yorker; it convinced me to buy the book. I am NOT disappointed. You can read it straight through, but it is also one of those books you can just pick up and read a few pages --great for guest room or bathroom! I have also showed it to many friends, and we have made a game of creating our own 6-word memoirs, and those of others we know--a lot of fun and conversation as a result of this book. I bought copies to send to faraway friends, too.

This book really made me think about putting my life into a six word memoir. There are so many cute ones - one of my favorites was (seventy years, few tears, hairy ears)

I've read the book through twice now, and I still find fresh bits of wisdom and newly amusing memoirs. My only wish is that Smith Magazine gave a teeny bit of insight into the authors themselves (even as an Appendix). Because of the glimpse into two writers' lives during the Prologue, their memoirs have had the most impact for me...and it makes you realize how much complexity and meaning six simple words can carry.

Since 6-word memoir submissions are still being accepted at www.smithmag.net, I wait with anticipation for the next volume. Thank you for a read that will never collect dust on my book shelf.

This is a great project. Sum up a life in six words. Some are funny, some poignant, some clever, all concise.

I teach a writing class and plan to give this assignment to my students. There is much to be said for a simple, well-worded story.

These collection of "Life Summaries" is fun, easy to pick up during a few spare minutes, and will make you think about your own life. I enjoyed it a great deal.

...Or genius.
For teachers, this makes a great book of instant drills. ("OK, class, here's Hemmingay's story: 'For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.' What happened?" or "Here are 6 people's autobiographies. Write yours.")

It's also a great bathroom reader, away message generator, and thought puzzle. How do you boil eveything important into 6 words?

I had no idea; still don't.

The biggest flaw of Not Quite What I Was Planning is its length. Even with 1,000 entries, it can be read from intro to index in about half an hour, since qualifying memoirs are a mere six words in length. By my calculations, that's $24 dollars per hour of reading time (plus tax). Included in the book is the web address for the site from which the selections were taken. So why not just go there to read them for free? Additionally, wordsmiths may be bothered by the fact that two words connected by a hyphen are counted as one word at times. The same is allowed for contractions. And while some abbreviations (AIDS, for example) should clearly qualify as one word, others (like U.S.) should not. Writing an excellent six-word memoir is challenging. And the collection, a mixed bag, reflects it. I disliked about as many (about five percent) as I liked, and felt indifferent about the rest. Strangely, the content reminded me a bit of what can be found in the Life's Little Instruction Book series. My advice: browse the memoirs at Smith Magazine's site. Then read a proper, full-length version. Recommended: Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller, The Twelve Little Cakes by Dominika Dery, Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt and Execution by Hunger by Miron Dolot.

The book is just as advertised. Some are funny, some sad, some poignant. I showed several people who immediately worked on their own.

This book is great fun to read yourself or to read aloud with others. It makes you think about your own life and try to come up with your six words. So while it is fun, it also can make you think deeply about your life in a way you wouldn't expect from a book like this. I've given it to a few people as a fun present.

Thoughtfull, makes you think and, is worth your time reading and pondering. Six words at a time.

I was disappointed with this book. To paraphrase "Not Quite what I was planning" or expecting.

I love this little book. The only thing that would have made it better would be a small caption underneath about each writer. In the forward, you can read and be surprised when you learn the identities of some of the writers.

I want everyone I know to write a 6 word memoir.
I agree that what you write today probably won't be valid 5 years from now, so what? It's a fun exercise to explain yourself.

Mine is, 'I should have had a Plan B'

Great book to pick up and skip to a random page. Perfect for the living room table (or bathroom). Makes you think about how you'd summarize your life into six words.

What an interesting concept. Can you write your own biography in only six words? Try it you will find it very thought provoking and inspiring. Great for starting conversations at parties or to get to know someone. I plan to use this with a 7th grade language arts class to help them with word choice and being precise in their writing. However, there are some adult content biographies in this collection so I'll share selected entries.

There is a legend that Ernest Hemingway came up with a six word story: "For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Worn."

WOW! Great, isn't it? You can add your own at sixwordmemoir.com

Every few pages, you will notice the name of a contribution from a famous writer, celebrity or celebutante. I wish I could say that the over 200 pages of 6 word memoirs in the book are as good as Hemingway's story. But I can't. But the book is still enjoyable to browse through. Most are average and forgetable, many are quite depressing, but some give you pause and you can imagine a story based on the sentence.

My fave: "Girlfriend is pregnant, my husband said."

This is an amazing book.
Makes a great gift for ANYONE.
Very thought provoking!

This is a great little book to pass around at a party or book club meeting to get the conversation rolling. How would you sum up your life in only six words? It's not that easy when you really sit down to do it. Fun concept!

Makes your brain run 100 times faster because you read a biography every 10 seconds, instead of every 200 pages or so in usual biographies book.

Inversly, other people will like the book because their brain will function at it's normal rate, instead of it's 1/100 rate when reading a usual biography book.

Improves your wirting style and quality; You learn to write clearly and consisely.

Don't read the book if you are the kind who gets attached to the personality after reading her biography; You will get hooked up to hundreds of them.

The more you will love the book, the more you will hate it's shortness.

I recommend That's How the Light Gets In: Memoir of a Psychiatrist by Susan Rako, M.D. The title comes from a song by Leonard Cohen: "There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." Rako's book is wonderfully well-written, engaging, and inspiring. The writing just flows.

Lives and life summed up in six words. Funny,witty, silly - bittersweet. A quick read and a good read.

It's said that Ernest Hemingway wrote the shortest story ever: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

The storytelling website, Smith Magazine, challenged people to do the same with memoir, and editors have compiled nearly a thousand of the best submissions into this collection.

While some resemble epitaphs, most, like Hemingway, say enough in six words to evoke a full narrative arc. There are stories of vulnerability, misfit, humor, and cleverness. The compilation is not only entertaining, it's inspiring: you can't help but consider your own memoir, even while you imagine some of these into full-length books.

Can't say enough about how much this email book in my Kindle has impressed me!!
I have been thinking of ways to introduce this concept with my middle school kids.. It is something they can stretch to show who they are in this moment of time, along their own personal time thread..

Hope you will also have the time to read and enjoy this experience-

I got my copy early too as I'm a contributor. At the book party, we actually asked for the quote which started all kinds of great conversations. My relationships could use this abridgement.

Q: How do you feel about me?
A: I think of you while breathing.

It saves us so much time.

Need to go out and buy this RIGHT NOW.

The world is filled with possibilities, in only six words!

Haven't read the whole book, just saw the video. Inspires six-worded memoir. Makes the reader want to know more of the story behind the words.

Intriguing. I bet it's a great conversation starter.

I wonder what mine would be. (Hey, maybe that's it right there?)

I'm one of the "writers obscure" in this book, and what a thrill to get my copy in the mail! And what a wonderful pleasure to read this gem...it's endlessly fascinating to see just how much meaning can be packed into six little words.

It's an honor to share the pages with every writer in this treasure of a book. I have a particular affinity for page 102...

I got an early copy because...I'm a contributor. And I can only echo what everyone else is saying. It's addictive, fun, and inspiring. Lovely. What's your story?

Highly addictive. Hard not to read selections out loud to people sitting near you. Equally hard not to think of ways to condense your own life into six words. A bit of an emotional roller coaster, but in the best way.

I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting, often stopping to read bits aloud to my husband. Filled with often funny, sometimes heartbreaking six word memoirs, this book will please just about anyone on your gift list.

Lots of fun and interesting little stories in just 6 words. It makes you use your imagination in a different way with each new memoir.

Not only fun and funny but insightful and deep. It cheers you up if you feel blue and makes you laugh when you least expect it! This book will find you making 6 word memoirs for your life everyday. More than a coffee table book, a must read!

This book is authentic, hilarious, deep and delightful. Kudos to the authors for a genuinely unique idea in world of also-rans! I plan to buy 10 copies and bring them as housegifts wherever I go. Warning: thinking in 6 word memoirs is addictive.

When I heard about this possible book on NPR I couldn't help myself. I surfed to [...] and entered my 6-word memoir, never thinking it would be chosen. To my surprise, it WAS chosen, and I was allowed to include a piece of my artwork to go with my memoir, which is a self-portrait I created specifically for this book.

This book is just plain fun. It's always interesting to get a glimpse into other people's lives and see that, no matter how alone you may feel, there's always someone else in a similar situation. Even for those whom we assume are happy and 'normal' because of their celebrity status. The price is very reasonable and this book will become a conversation starter. Well worth the money. Enjoy!

As an obscure author of one of the entries I was sent a copy - and what fun it was to read through the thought-provoking, humorous, challenging, emotional, and flippant memoirs that were selected

In short, I love this book.

I'd have never imagined you could get so much out of six words. I was wrong. Very, very wrong.

From clever and funny to poignant and sad, the breadth of the memoirs in this book is astounding. They truly make every word count. I should warn you, though: It's addictive. Countless times, I found myself sitting down, intending to read merely a few, only to find myself completely engrossed.

This is one of those books I think everyone should own. Whether you're on the bus in the morning or reading before bed, it provides the perfect break from the day.

It's a wonderful sampling of both established and up-and-coming talent. "Not Quite What I Was Planning" is chock-full of writers you love, writers you've never heard of, and--if six words can be considered a hint of things to come--writers you're soon going to be hearing much, much more about.

My six word review? "Buy this book. Seriously, do it."

These six word memoirs are so fun to browse. It is truly amazing what people can convey in just six words. People have chosen to give a life summary, to explain their philosophies on life or to tell a short story. I have now looked through the book 4 times (looking for my own six words) and come across something new each time. I still haven't found my own though . . .