A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

The most memorable book I've read this year so far is a book about making life more memorable.

I highly recommend Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, because of Miller's vivid account of his life as he takes new risks, reflects on the art of the story, and lives out the theme that "making life more 'story-like' will make it more memorable."

It's a bit of the theory that "life imitates art," in the sense that "life imitates the story we're playing out," and if we want a better life, then we need to change the themes of the story we're in.

Miller does this in form of climbing Machu Picchu, biking across the country, kayaking at night, and other adventures I won't spoil. During this span of his life, film producers follow him around in an attempt to create a movie about his autobiographical best seller Blue Like Jazz, which propels him into more introspection on "life as a story," both in how we tell what has happened in the past and how we create what's going to happen next.

He defines a story as "A character....who wants something....and overcomes conflict...to get it," and frames his reflections around each of these ideas.

He takes the famous screen-writing class that Nicholas Cage takes in Adaptation, taught by Robert McKee.

His friend teaches him the "save the cat" principle (one of my favorites).

I liked this book because I enjoy thinking about the story-theory, i.e. the arc of the narrative and other principles. This book is far from a theory book, though, because Miller presents his thoughts by recounting his own adventures and describing the actions of others who are leading inspirational lives. The book compels me to live a better story.