About this book
Three gifts in one
As You Go is a new kind of going-away present for a young person about to leave home. It's a book, it's a song, and a scrapbook all-in-one.
This scrapbook is much easier to put together than most, because you don't have to start from scratch. This book already includes:
- The original song As You Go on CD. Listen to the song
- The song lyrics, accompanied by stunning photography from around the world.
- 8 pages of Quotations and Reflections as food for thought for the long journey into the world
- 16 Rules for Survival, by extremely successful entrepreneur Bob Parsons
- One of the finest Commencement addresses ever delivered, by young teacher Joseph Consiglio, published here in As You Go for the first time
- 18 pages of beautiful backgrounds to hold your own photographs or written thoughts and wishes, or to be used by the recipient as a journal
Details:
It's a book
This 76-page full-color book began not as a book at all, but as a love letter from a parent to a child on the occasion of leaving home for the great wide world. But words alone sometimes fail us.
It's a song
As a musician, I’ve often found it easier to express my deepest feelings in music. And thus came to be the song which you hear on the CD in the back of the book. Originally there was no thought of publication. But as it turns out, more and more people heard the song. They told us it said exactly what they wanted to say to their own young men and women.
It's a scrapbook—or a journal
This book is also a scrapbook of a very special kind. At key places within the lyrics of the song, we have added extra pages (18 in all) to make room for your own photos or personal reflections. For example...
| after: | we added: |
| “You, once small...” | 1 page |
| “Now stand tall....” | 2 pages |
| "It has been so incredible watching it all" | 4 pages |
| “Our love will be with you” | 2 pages |
For mounting the photos into the book we recommend Memory Book Glue Dots™. We've tried them and they work great! (For your convenience we've added them to our online store.)
What's in the book?
This book is divided into several sections:
- Song Lyrics
- Quotations and Reflections
- Rules for Survival
- Mr. C’s Commencement Address
- The song As You Go on CD is in a clear vinyl sleeve inside the back cover.
1. Song Lyrics and Photographic Images
The extraordinary photographs included on many of the pages of this book would not be here without the generous permission of my “Flickr Friends”, friends I’ve made on the photo-sharing website flickr.com. It is an amazing place where my eyes have been opened and my soul expanded by abundantly talented people from around the world, especially:
- Ahmed Zahid (Maldives)
- Angela Wright (US)
- Carlos Quandt (Brazil)
- Christopher Drost (Canada)
- Frank Hatcher (US)
- Muha (Maldives)
- Patrick Shanks (Canada)
- Simon Narramore (Hong Kong)
- Zak Lynn (US)
- Zanna van Oss (UK)
For detailed photo credits, see the Credits page, where you can easily click through to the photographers’ own photo pages. Many life-enhancing experiences will await you there. (And if you’d like to catch a glimpse of heaven while still on earth, book a visit to the Maldives islands with Ahmed Zahid as your photographic tour guide.)
2. Quotations and Reflections
The Quotations and Reflections are nourishing food for thought for the long voyage out into the world. Special thanks to
- Coach John Wooden (and McGraw-Hill)
- Rod Gervais
- Tom Brokaw
- Coit Blacker
- Susan Jeffers
and many more. See the Credits section for details and links to their books.
Unattributed reflections are all from Lee Liebner.
3. Rules for Survival
These 16 Rules are from Bob Parsons, a Marine vet and entrepreneur who knows how to make things happen. Read these, especially #1 through #16. They extend the Q&R and are a manual for not only surviving but thriving.
4. Mr. C's Commencement Address
I was there on June 4, 2000, when "Mr. C." (Joe Consiglio) delivered
this Commencement Address to our daughter Lena’s graduating high school class. His tone was light and almost matter-of-fact, but as he developed his message through one variation on his theme after another, the cumulative effect was like that of a rolling tide, with the surf pounding ever more forcefully with each successive wave. By the end, I realized I had just heard one of the most powerful speeches I would ever hear in my lifetime. This insightful document addresses with elegant simplicity the single most important lesson anyone can ever learn.
5. The Song on CD
The song on CD was recorded by me and two very gifted friends who coincidentally also have offspring leaving the nest. Sara Phelan’s voice is as gorgeous as her soul, and Mary Anne Hrin is one of the most kickin’ drummers ever to slap those skins silly. Amanda, Matt, and Dan all graduated the same year. This book is dedicated to you, all our children, and, gentle reader, all your children. As you go, our love will be with you.
Lee Liebner
$24.95
