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Andrew Friedman
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Say Not "What If" Paperback – July 11, 2011

by Andrew Friedman (Author)
3.4 3.4 out of 5 stars 18 ratings
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A dying man craves the time he has lost. Written as a long rhyming poem, Say Not “What If” recounts his journey and the consequences of the choices he makes in a desperate desire to stay alive. Exceptionally easy to read and understand, many readers have praised the power and thought provoking nature of this unique story. What would you do for more time?

“This was a lyrical masterpiece! Very deep with an important life lesson woven in. Excellent from start to finish, and highly recommended by me.”

“This literary work is something incredibly special. I highly recommend this book, and hope that its life lessons will stay with us for the rest of our journey.”

“The paradox of a man’s dying despair with the lyrical rhyming was intoxicating. Easy to read, and emotionally provocative, Mr. Friedman has written a truly unique short story.”

“This poetic short story is so gripping and compelling that you won’t stop reading. And more than reading, I was almost singing along with the story, it was so beautifully written.”

“Say Not “What If” is a beautifully written piece of literature with a dark heart at its core. The stark contrast between the lovely poetry and all the things that made this ugly was severe but it was also what made the story . . . beautiful in an uncanny way.”

“I found myself truly submerged in the story. I read it in one afternoon and it left me with lots to think about, which, really, is what books are all about.”
Previous page
  1. Print length
    50 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    July 11, 2011
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.12 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1463627319
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1463627317
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 11, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 50 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1463627319
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1463627317
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.88 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.12 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.4 3.4 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

About the author

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Andrew Friedman

Andrew Friedman

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Andrew Friedman is an attorney and business consultant, with a background in corporate communications, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation. This is his first book.

Customer reviews

3.4 out of 5 stars
3.4 out of 5
18 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2015
Verified Purchase
When I came across this book I read the sample Amazon provides and it instantly hooked me. The story is powerful and one of the most beautifully written and concise pieces of work that I have read. It takes you on a tumultuous ride of emotions and is able to touch deeply on what makes us human.

The book was engaging due to the poignant story, the authors ability to create a short story entirely in rhyming form, and its ability to provoke personal reflection from the story of the main character.

This book may help you decipher what is really most important to you and put it into perspective. That alone is worth the read.
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patricia_ps30
4.0 out of 5 stars What If??? WHAT IF????
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2012
This exceptional book is a short story, (approximately 10,000 words), written as a rhyming poem, which really makes it a long, (51 page), poem! However you choose to describe it, however you choose to summarize it, this literary work is something incredibly special.

I was not sure how I would feel about a long prose-poem, and I was a little intimidated by it. However, it did not take long for me to know how I felt about the book itself. I was hooked by the second page.

Most of us can probably relate to a story of a man spending too much time away from his family, and not enough time appreciating the time he has on this earth. Why is it that we can all find ourselves in this situation, even when the world around us is filled with examples of how "not-to"? I am reminded of two famous sayings: "Learn by example" and "Learn by our own mistakes". Which one is correct? Or are they both correct?

The main character in this short story is depicted, in the beginning, as one who has a passion for his job, or if not a passion, then dedication and loyalty. When everyone else leaves for the day, he and his boss remain. And it is clear that he believes this is the way to get through life, the way that will lead to a wonderful time of retirement.

Reading the opening stanza, it seems as though this man's life theory is: to live for the day. "Say Not What If", embrace life and all it offers. We learn, almost immediately, that this philosophy of life was only arrived at after some big moments of regret. The bulk of the story finds the main character struggling with his life choices.

While it might be tempting to read this book in one short period of time, I would caution against this. I took multiple sittings, as the subject matter was heavy, even though the style of writing was light. And as the book progressed I was pleased with the slower pace of my reading.

As I read his story, I could not help but feel pain for the main character. But also pain for those of us living part, or all of our lives, saying "what if". For a short book, this story addresses major life issues, ones which the reader will find speak to the core of our beings. The author has the skill to reach directly into our hearts, souls, and minds - in a very short amount of time.

I highly recommend this book, and hope that we as readers, will learn life lessons that will stay with us for the rest of our journey.

I would like to thank Andrew Friedman, for providing a complimentary copy of his book, for my review.

"Where is the Joy?"!!!!!

My very next post, after deciding I would ask that question at the end of any post, I forgot! So, I will add it in here. Maybe no one else remembered either!!

So, where is the Joy in this post, in this book? I thought that might be a challenging question, given the subject matter of the book "Say Not What If", (maybe that's why I `forgot'!??).

However, the answer came quite easily. I found Joy in the rhyming pattern of the stanzas, in the flow of the words, and from there the images of what was being depicted.

That was the Joy.

Patricia

Choose Joy!
One person found this helpful
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Anne
5.0 out of 5 stars A book with an incredibly simple story leaves the reader with a powerful message about living in the present
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2012
Note* I did recieve this book free of charge to review on my blog [...]

"Time is something you can't borrow/ And there is no promise of tomorrow." A man spends his life focused solely on his career, until life sends him a roadblock he can't ignore. He realizes he has wasted what little time life gives us and makes a deal with fate to prolong his life. Fate rewards him with his life, but at a high cost, a life on death row. Once again, the man is faced with the harsh reality that death is always around the corner no matter what you do, and that life should not be squandered.

I was extremely intimidated to read and review this book because short stories and even worse, poetry, are two forms of literary art that I have very little knowledge or understanding of. I really wanted to do the work justice, even if I wasn't sure how that would be possible with my limited knowledge. Then I started reading and breathed a sigh of relief. This story is very easy to understand and yet I couldn't help but be impressed that anyone could write a short story in the form of poetry. And Friedman gives the reader a heck of a poem at that! The story has such a universal message about savoring every second you are given and it really makes you think about death, the death penalty, and morality.

I zoomed through this read and therefore, I had little problems with it. The only thing that threw me off a bit was that it was sometimes difficult to figure out who was speaking. This only happened during one scene but it was the only thing that I could consider a negative.

At 51 pages there really is no excuse not to read this short story. All you need is maybe two hours and you will be able to enjoy a story whose message can touch a person at any age. The themes explored in this book are interesting on their own but the ultimate theme of living in the moment is the main reason to check this book out. This theme is explored in such a clever and deep way that it warrants a skim from any literature lover or someone looking for a book that really puts life in perspective.
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