And the Pursuit of Happiness

I loved the book And the Pursuit of Happiness so much that I presented it to each member of our terrific graduating Class of 2013. Here is what I said to the graduates when I presented it to them on Thursday evening:

Reading it, you get two distinct treats for the price of one. Maira Kalman, creator of the book, is both the author and illustrator. You can see her art work at the Julie Saul Gallery in Manhattan.

Divided into 12 chapters, one for each month, it reads like a graphic novel. You will find fact after fact about our Country, and the facts tie in beautifully with all of the work you have been doing in U.S. History. After I read it over spring break, there was one fact that stuck in my head. The author presented a list of Benjamin Franklin’s accomplishments, which included bifocals, swim fins, Poor Richard’s Almanac, among many admirable patriotic deeds; but the one deed cited in the book I loved the most is “He believed in doing good every day.” Do good every day and you will have happiness and you will want to do good again — a wonderful life cycle to live by.