Title: Feeling Good: All the Time
Author: Jack Randall Cook
Publisher: Author’s Tranquility Press
ISBN: 978-1669817321
Pages: 128
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
Reviewer: Ephantus M.
Hollywood Book Reviews
Feeling Good: All the Time, an inspirational autobiography by Jack Randall Cook, describes his life’s struggles and hardships as well as his attempts to achieve happiness in the face of extreme uncertainty.
Cook’s mother taught him the value of positive thinking at an early age; a lesson he carried with him through his challenging upbringing with fourteen other siblings. Her unwavering optimism, determination, and ability to make things happen allowed the family to weather a time of anxiety and lack, following their father’s tragic mental and physical health decline. Cook had no idea at the time how events in later life, such as the sudden disappearance of his spouse and mother to their three children, would eventually test his resolve and other qualities he had learned from his mother.
Cook got into a horrible accident which left him and one of his sons, Randy, with serious injuries. He would never forget the days which followed – they went without money and food, forcing the kids to go to bed hungry. But there was one fear which never left his heart: the fear that his children’s biological mother or some other social agency would at some point show up at his door to take his lovely kids away from him.
In this autobiography, he describes multiple instances of supernatural intervention over the years that he could never have imagined. These include receiving full-service legal representation in court while pursuing full custody of his children, receiving maintenance checks following the accident, obtaining full custody of all three children, and meeting Darlene – a stunning, loving woman who would not only become his wife but also the mother of three young, insecure children. His unwavering faith is evident throughout the story. He also strikes me as a really admirable father figure who would stop at nothing to provide his kids with the best daddy possible.
One book which perfectly captures the idea of empowering children to reach their full potential is Feeling Good: All the Time. My favorite part of the book is when the author’s children make a choice that allows him to finally be free of a long-standing fear. It is a truly heroic moment which will stick with me and hopefully, many other readers for years, even though the circumstances leading up to it are heartbreaking. This succinct, easily readable life story is incredibly pertinent for anyone attempting to navigate the ups-and-downs of life.