And reminders on how to live a happy and rewarding life

I leave this book on the table for my families who bring their children for music lessons. I have had parents actually order this book from reviewing it in our music studio. There is so much wise counsel for young and old both. This is wonderful book for all ages. Sincerly, Roberta Marie Kiszer Proprietor: Joyful Noises Music Studio.....

Since I first read this book I enjoyed it a lot. It's very wise but at the same time not pretentious. I felt as if the author's words were addressed to me and the advise is wholly applicable. I rate it with four star because I only would give five to the Bible.

...this is a great little book for any age but really a terrific little "tuck in" for your college bound students.
I keep my copy on the coffee table for all guest and family to pick up and flip through.
I reread it often just to keep fresh on the life lessions it contains.

This book was sold as "NEW" condition however when it arrived there was about a square inch of the front cover with the top layer of the cover missing, leaving that area as white paper. It appeared as if someone had perhaps tried to remove a price tag, taking the cover material with it. Not good since this was to be a gift.

I purchased this Kindle version without realizing that it contains just Volume III. Afterwards, I realized that I could have gotten the three books at an even lower price than I paid for this one. I feel highly disappointed. I believe the title is misleading as it says in parenthesis the word "books" in plural. I feel cheated. The book itself is very nice though.

Really like the book. Small advice big on content. Its about enjoying the lil' things. It's good to have something remind you about the important things... I gotta say I cannot understand if this was a new item and tagged as such, how could it be scribbled on...

The book was not cut right when it was bound. The rectangles on most pages are totally crooked and it is not professionally done at all- very disappointed in the quality of the book compared to the first edition of Life's Little Instruction Book.

I simply love these little tomes.They are filled with short sayings that give great advice for dealing with every part of living life from day to day. This one is particularly good in that it gives over 500 short instructions.This book by H Jackson Brown Jr. is just one of many he has put out over the years.Inside,there is a list of other titles he has produced.This, being Volume III has the instructions 1029 to 1560
The price of these books is so reasonable that they fall in the range of a greeting card and anyone receiving one will get much more enjoyment from it than a card that is glanced at for a few seconds and soon cast aside.
Just to give you an idea of the gems of wisdom or Instructions you'll get ,here are a few chosen at random;

Remember that bad luck as well as good luck seldom lasts long.
When you see someone sitting alone on a bench,make it a point to speak to them.
If it's not a beautiful mornig,let your cheerfulness make it one.
If you ask someone to do something for you,let them do it their way.
Remember that all important truths are simple.
There you go,that's only 5 of more than 500.

Learn to identify the music of Chopin, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Give yourself a year and read the Bible from cover to cover (I did it within a little over four months myself).
Put a lot of little marshmallows in your hot chocolate.
Learn CPR.
Learn Spanish. In a few years, more than 35% of all Americans will speak it as their first language.
When starting out, don't worry about not having enough money. Limited funds are a blessing, not a curse. Nothing encourages creative thinking in quite the same way.

These are but a few of the nuggets of wisdom that H. Jackson Brown Jr. imparts to us in this plaid-clad 1991 novelty book. I received my copy as a gift for my 25th birthday, while recovering from a recent auto accident, and have read it quite frequently over the years. While not all of it is applicable to everyone's situation, it's interesting how a few pieces of advice meant for his college-bound son have evolved into this delightful and practical work, which should be given as a gift to any High School or College graduate.
Other practical bits of advice include:
Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage
Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.
Judge success by the degree that you're enjoying peace, health, and love.
Have some knowledge of three religions other than your own.
Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leornardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Eienstein.
Out of 511 pieces of advice, that is still only a modest number. But this book is a highly recommendable bit of edification as well as entertainment for anyone.
By the way, spreading peanut butter over gingerbread cookies was a particularly yummy bit of advice, too!

There are literally dozens of these little books, or little books like this one around today. You can seem them on many a desk of offices across the country. Most of them are pretty good at best, and rather mundane at worse. This one though is quite a few notches above most of the pack. H. Jackson Brown Jr. has given us over 500 (511 to be exact), short bits of wisdom in the form of little one liners. I've read them all and to be frank, actually learned much from most of them and was reminded of a lot of things that have been pushed to the back of my mind over the years. These are little thoughts and zaps of wisdom that simply make your life more pleasing to live and most of them make you smile and feel a bit better. Little things like "floss your teeth everyday," sort of reminds me of my dad. Little things, yes, but don't all the little things all add up in our lives to make a whole? This is a great gift or a great buy for yourself. You will be richer for having read it.

This is the second volume in a series. It is delightful, easy to read and full of practical wisdom. It can be read in one sitting. The suggestions(512) are short, one or two sentences and were written by Brown to his son. The gems of wisdom are what you typically think of as being handed down from generation to generation.

It should not be read an stuffed in the bookshelf. While we probably have heard or know most of these bits of wisdom, we do need to be reminded of the thoughts. So it is helpful to read them ever so often. The more you read them, the deeper your understanding and appreciation of these truths.

A few of my favorites:

Act with courtesy and fairness regardless of how others treat you. Don't let them determine your response.

Spend your time and energy creating, not critizing.

Keep your private thoughts private.

Treat your employees with the same respect you give your clients.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

The book is entertaining and enlightening. Well worth reading a few times a year.

My sister had this book sitting on her coffee table. Whenever I was over her house I couldn't resist picking it up. As the rest of the family was interacting with each other, I would be pouring over H. Jackson Brown's practical words of wisdom.

The genesis of this book is a wonderful and heart-warming story. When the author's son was heading off to college, Brown decided to jot down a few words of wisdom to help his son through his college years. He typed it up and presented it to his son as they dropped him off at his dorm. A few days later his son called to express his appreciation of this "best gift ever".

The theme of these little instructions can be summed up by saying, "Be responsible, be positive and be appreciative." Still, you have to love the humor, joy, and practicality of each one. Some of my favorites are: No. 274 "Leave everything a little better than you found it." No.503 "Be alert for opportunities to show praise and appreciation." And No. 30 "Never buy a house without a fireplace." (Oops! Too late.)

Finally, to everyone who enjoyed this book I would encourage you to read another book of wisdom, The Book of Proverbs. Its words of wisdom are even better. (After all, Instruction No. 115 is " Give yourself a year and read the Bible cover to cover.")

This advice book is not among the best I have seen. It does have valuable suggestions but it seems to me that it has more which are trite and even irrelevant. "Sing in a choir" "Take an overnight train trip and sleep in a Pullman" " Put a lot of little marshmallows in your hot chocolate" "Resist the temptation to buy a boat" "Eat prunes" "Whistle"
This is not the wisdom of the ages.
On the other hand there is sound if not terribly original advice in this book. "Don't take good health for granted" "Commit yourself to constant self- improvement" " Don't waste time grieving over past mistakes. Learn from them and move on." " Leave everything a little better than you find it."
I enjoy such books and enjoyed this one. It is not the greatest except perhaps in one sense. It is extremely short and easy to read.

This should be a definite buy. Not necessarily for yourself (although you should read it), but as a gift to give to other people. I received this book as a gift from my mom many years ago and just recently found it amongst a box of books I had forgotten about. Many of the little bits of wisdom are just as fun to read now as they were then.

It contains all the one-liner wisdom you would expect from a loving parent or anyone trying to pass along their good intentions. It's definitely not a book you just sit down to read, as it is a little 5x7 booklet with 5-10 "one liners" per page, but a little reminder you could keep in a special spot and just glance at once in a while. I have taken mine out of the box to do just that.

The thing I really liked as I reread some of the book is that much of the "wisdom" can be pretty different than the run of the mill "feel good advice" you would normally expect. It apparently was written by a person who's sole intention was to impart this wisdom to his child. If that type of intention was written into this little booklet it's got to be good enough to give to others.

Get it, you won't be disappointed.

I found this book while browsing in the local discount book store -- got it brand new for $2! I have to say, it's a really cute, fun book! One of the tid-bits said something along the lines of "own a convertible at least once in your life" -- I bought my little '97 Miata as a graduation present to myself a year ago & I couldn't agree more! I couldn't help but smiling as I turned the pages. Will go back and read when I need a little laugh.
Namaste

The first I remember of Life's Little Instruction Book, is listening to it on audiotape in my dad's car. I remember it seemed to go on forever. As I got a little older, I actually started listening to the things on this tape and realized that so many of the things my dad lived by were listed in this book. Years later, we still quote it. The things that H. Jackson Brown lists in it are not "AHA!" life changing pieces of advice, rather they are all ways to find more happiness in everyday life.

---review of original 1991 edition---

This book contains many words of advice that the author gave to his son when he went off to college plus more suggestions the author came up with later. There are a lot of gems (like: #15 Own a great stereo system. #23 Floss your teeth. #119 Put a lot of little marshmallows in your hot chocolate.), but you have to separate them from some of the more dubious observations (such as: #74 Eat prunes. #110 Spread crunchy peanut butter on Pepperidge Farm Gingerman cookies for the perfect late-night snack. #311 Don't waste time playing cards.).

I ordered six of these as graduation presents for a group of high school students. Regardless of whether you are 17 or 70, though, this pithy collection of wisdom resonates and offers sound and inspiring insights for us all. The sayings range from Big Picture ("Don't expect life to be fair ..") to the micro (" Don't leave your car keys in the ignition.")

Not only a great and inexpensive gift book or stocking-stuffer, but a treat to dip into again and again!

My brother sent me an email supposedly repeating a mantra from the Dalai Lama. The email asked 4 questions of life. Your answers were supposed to reveal your true spiritual disposition about a number of things. In the email, was supposedly a link to the Dalai Lama's thoughts about the Millenium. The list of "twenty thoughts" actually turned out to have been culled from a much larger list originally penned by H. Jackson Brown Jr. A little diligence brought me to the source of this wonderful knowledge..Brown's "Complete Life's Little Instruction Book". I believe that Brown has distilled much of what is written in many books of wisdom down into one-liner tibits that are delightfully instructive. For me, they are a reminder to live my utmost for God's highest. I have been looking for more spiritual planks for the human shipyard that I am building. Just by reading the many great reviews of this little book, I see much treasure that I can add to my shipyard's cargo. I would reccomend this book to anyone who lives to benefit the lives of others. My first order is six copies to give as gifts (Nothing is really yours until you give it away). Priceless!!!

Advice of both the common sense variety and the kind based on bitter experience is offered here in this pocket-sized volume. Non-controversial, cutesy-but-true helpful hints make up the bulk of its alleged 511 suggestions.

A random sampling of these spattered tidbits includes:

Learn to listen. Advice sometimes knocks very softly.

Be courteous to everyone.

Read to your children.

Be enthusiastic about the success of others.

Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

Keep secrets.

Never criticize the person who signs your paycheck.

Lie on your back and look at the stars.

And one I especially liked:

Evaluate yourself by your own standards, not by someone else's.

So as you can see, these are nice little gems of wisdom. Not Confucius-level material, perhaps, but I doubt there's anyone who can't find something to grin over, agree with, or be improved by, all for less than ten bucks.

This is a very readable book by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Enjoyed reading the little lines of advice. They were interesting, humerous, worthwhile and some were just good clean fun. A good read.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" and "Wesley's Wars"

I was first given this little book by the CEO of our company. I have given it away and replaced it numerous times. It is worth rereading annually as it helps us to remember all the things we already know - like "Keep Secrets, Remember People's Names, Don't Expect Money to Bring You Happiness and Never Eat the Last Cookie".

A real winner!

This book is just wonderful for making you feel warm and fuzzy all over about how simple life could be if only you simplified and got back to the basics. The instructions are useful and will make you a better person. This is better then 99% of the motivational and self-help books out there. Life a simple and honorable life, and this book will help.

This little book is just full of those positive affirmations people keep telling you to tell yourself to improve your own life. I picked out several new sayings that I really loved and I also noticed several old sayings that I have always cherished. Positive affirmations are a positive tool when you feel down and out, or just a little gray. I recommend this book to kids of all ages.

This little booklet is chock-full of one or two line passages of advice worthy of anyone's consideration. You've no doubt heard a few of these common-sense gems while most will be new discoveries.
I highly recommend this book as a great gift for the young adult reaching a milestone in their lives or for anyone that could use a few good ideas that will truly help them live happier and more rewarding lives. No doubt about it!

This is an easy to pick up and read for one minute or read the entire book. I love to use it as a graduation gift for my students. They say it gives them all the things I have been teaching them over the years in one compact little book.

With its pretty plaid exterior and easily read pages, this little book packed full of wisdom is perfect for most coffee tables. What an excellent gift! I treasure my copy of LIFE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK. Jane Riley, author of SOLOMON'S PORCH

Lion's share of advice is useful, but "reading the NY Times to stay informed - finding another way to prove manhood other than shooting defenseless animals - learn Spanish as 35% will be speaking it" is nothing more than feel-good, leftist claptrap that fronts for considerably more sinister intentions (regardless if the authors of the book are aware of it or not). Perhaps these and other "instructions" of this nature could be added to another book with the more appropriate title "101 Things You Should Do If You're A Socialist".

I had previously purchased this book several years ago. As a former high school teacher I shared the "One" line notes with my students. This sharing became a routine my students looked forward to see when I posted them. With that in mind, I purchased a copy for my granddaughter for a graduation present.

After this purchase, the store informed me of the book that contained the first three editions of Life's Little Instructions. I slso bought tha edition.

I've always loved this little handbook. It gives suggestions on how to live your life. It's simple, to the point, fun, and filled with truth. As a father, I also like Father to Son: Life Lessons on Raising a Boy, which is very similar in its style. Love them!

This is a wonderful book. I own a business and decided to give this book to
everyone in the office. I like the book because it is a easy read ( especially for
those who don't really like to read or have the time). It is uplifting and helps
reality set in. I heard about this book from my son who had a teacher his junior
year that always referred to this book. Love it

All of us have days when all we can do is put one foot in front of the other and make it through the day. I have kept this on my coffee table for years, along with several other books of inspiration. It is better than a cup of coffee - a true spiritual "pick me up". I say "Thank you" to the author for taking some of my tough days and turning them around for me!

This is an entertaining enough book with a mix of cheesy sentiments, some cliches but overall good messages to live by,...except for No. 433: "Have a friend who owns a truck." Seems a bit shallow and deceptive to befriend someone solely for times when you need to move or haul something away. Ever hear of U-Haul or Ryder?

#1 New York Times bestseller. Since its introduction in 1991, this little book continues to touch the lives of readers with 511 suggestions, observations and reminders on how to live a happy and fulfilling life. Originally written as a gift to his son, H. Jackson Brown, Jr.'s simple fatherly advice is loved by people of all ages. Author website: [...]

I love the screen saver software version of this book. Having these thoughtful bits f wisdoms pop up regularly on my computer is a great way to keep them fresh in my mind. This way I actually remember to live by the instructions more. Everyone that walks by my computer loves it too! I also like that I can set it to different languages to brush up on my linguist abilities too.

79. Dont mess with drugs, and don't associate with those who do.

15. Own a great stereo system.

Own a great stereo system to listen to all those albums made by drug-free musicians....

311. Don't waste time playing cards. (Seriously??)

400. Stay out of nightclubs (borrrrriiiiinnnggg)

this is a great book, including suggestions like: * compliment three people every day *sing in the shower * plant flowers in spring *return all things you borrow with a total of 511 suggestions for us to be better people, and live happily. this book is full of good suggestions.