Before you decide whether you should read "Miracle on the Appalachian Trail" let me tell you about the author. I have known Brad Henry for more than twenty years, and I can't believe he is still alive. I call him "Bad Luck Brad," but mostly behind his back because he is an eternal optimist and doesn't realize all the stuff happening to him is not normal. What we're talking about here is way, way beyond Murphy's Law. After a few years with Brad, Murphy resigned from the assignment, citing an excessive workload. The difficult part about all this is that many of the cruel and "random" hardships visited upon Brad are, well, very funny. You genuinely want to express sympathy as he shares the latest incident involving being shot, bitten, run down, nearly drowned, defrauded, having his teeth knocked out, and so on, but the way he tells it, you just can't help but laugh. So, when Brad took off on the Appalachian Trail, after telling him he was crazy, I did two things. I began scouring the papers daily for reports of his demise. I knew that if he didn't make it out, he would not succumb in some ordinary way, like falling off a cliff. It would be something infinitely more entertaining and newsworthy, possibly involving a bobcat, a bear, fire ants or a serial killer. But also, I prayed. In truth, I wanted him to survive, so we could all benefit from the stories of his adventures. This unforgettable book is the answer to my prayers. Prepare to be entertained. And, prepare to be changed, because ironic though it may be, "Bad Luck Brad," has the unique gift of imparting hope, joy, perspective and inspiration. Read "Miracle on the Appalachian Trail," and you might just discover the way to your own miracle, too.
Before you decide whether you should read "Miracle on the Appalachian Trail" let me tell you about the author. I have known Brad Henry for more than twenty years, and I can't believe he is still alive. I call him "Bad Luck Brad," but mostly behind his back because he is an eternal optimist and doesn't realize all the stuff happening to him is not normal. What we're talking about here is way, way beyond Murphy's Law. After a few years with Brad, Murphy resigned from the assignment, citing an excessive workload. The difficult part about all this is that many of the cruel and "random" hardships visited upon Brad are, well, very funny. You genuinely want to express sympathy as he shares the latest incident involving being shot, bitten, run down, nearly drowned, defrauded, having his teeth knocked out, and so on, but the way he tells it, you just can't help but laugh. So, when Brad took off on the Appalachian Trail, after telling him he was crazy, I did two things. I began scouring the papers daily for reports of his demise. I knew that if he didn't make it out, he would not succumb in some ordinary way, like falling off a cliff. It would be something infinitely more entertaining and newsworthy, possibly involving a bobcat, a bear, fire ants or a serial killer. But also, I prayed. In truth, I wanted him to survive, so we could all benefit from the stories of his adventures. This unforgettable book is the answer to my prayers. Prepare to be entertained. And, prepare to be changed, because ironic though it may be, "Bad Luck Brad," has the unique gift of imparting hope, joy, perspective and inspiration. Read "Miracle on the Appalachian Trail," and you might just discover the way to your own miracle, too.
